The Dragon King: Old Version
by BlasterBlurby
Summary: Ulrike tries to summon Yuri on his 18th birthday, as planned, but things don't always go according to plan and now a team of Mazoku must go to Earth to retrieve him. They never expected that their future king already had his own crown. Yuram Pairing. Slightly AU.
1. The Truth

**Author's Note:** Hello, my online alias is BlasterBlurby or sometimes just Blurby. I know it is tempting to just skip over the author's note and get straight to the story but I hope that you take the time to read my author notes since I am taking the time to write them. This will be my first KKM story, and it will be written differently then my previous storys in a few ways. The perspective will be third person limited with an alternating point of view and most paragraphs will only be three sentences or less and double spaced as I find it be the easiest to read on a computer screen. This story is rated MATURE so only read it if you are mature enough to understand adult themes such as sex and violence. My updates will be short but frequent, and my goal is to update once a week. This story will differ from the orginal story line but will have many of the same keystone events as the original. I hope you enjoy, and I will be replying to every review personally at the beginning of each new chapter. Peace out.

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Chapter 1: The Truth

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It was a joke.

It had to be a joke.

It had to be a joke, because if it wasn't a joke his whole life was a lie.

Yuri stared blankly at his hands, which were lying limply in his lap, as he sat at the kitchen table of his small home and listened dully as his parents rocked his world off its axis.

"It's really not that terrible Yuri," consoled his father, who was standing stiffly at his side, "true demons are nothing like how humans portray us. We aren't inherently evil; we don't slaughter, maim, or otherwise hurt humans. You are the same person you were yesterday it's just that now you know your heritage."

"Yes Yu-chan!" confirmed his exuberant mother, "Now you just know how special you are!"

Yuri bit his lip, still staring into his lap.

"Does Shori know?" asked Yuri quietly, wondering if his workaholic brother was aware of their father's secret, and if so why didn't Shori tell him.

"Yes," answered his father, "we told him on his fifteenth birthday too. We also made him promise not to tell you."

"Why? Why would you keep this a secret from me," the hurt of the betrayal must have been clear in his voice because his mother instantly embraced him. Yuri didn't know if he wanted to hug her back or push her away from him, so he stayed still.

"Oh Yu-chan! We wanted to tell you so much, but Bob, that's the earth demon king or Maou as the demons call him, had made it a rule years ago that children of mozoku decent shouldn't be informed of their heritage until they were at least fifteen. If I had it my way it wouldn't have been a secret but your father insisted we followed the Maou's decree," rambled his mother as she squeezed him desperately in her arms.

Yuri didn't know what he would say to that but he could feel himself slowly forgiving his parents for their deceit.

Before he could think of what to say the door bell rang. Once. Twice.

"Oh!" cried his mother, releasing him, "Who could that be?" Without hesitating she hustled to the front door and opened it to reveal a very short figure on the other side of the threshold.

The closest Yuri could compare the figure to was a very old woman, but even that wasn't quite right. The woman's head was disproportionately large and tucked close to her chest. Her hair, which resembled cobwebs, was pulled into a bun atop her head, which left her craggy face bare.

The first thing Yuri noticed about the woman's face was the giant hooked nose that dominated her features; the second thing he noticed was her squinty eyes that held an almost cruel light.

What the woman's body lacked in height it made up for in width. Yuri was surprised when his mother invited her in that the old hag could make through the doorway without getting stuck.

In fact he could have been sure that the doorway was too thin for her bulk, and Yuri gasped when he saw the opening shrinking back to its normal width once the woman was through. He hadn't noticed that the door had expanded until it shrunk back into place. The woman seemed amused by his surprise and peered over her bulbous nose at him.

"Ah, I see ye are just what I'm looking fer young Lung," said the hag in a smooth and almost oily voice. It was then when he noticed that his parents hadn't reacted to the door changing. Had they not seen it? Yuri was suddenly afraid.

"Mom?" questioned Yuri in voice that quivered slightly.

As if he hadn't spoken his mother closed the front door and turned to stand in front of it serenely. His mother did not blink or otherwise move. She just stood frozen as if under a spell. Turning Yuri found his father in the same state.

"What did you do to them?" he exclaimed accusingly.

The woman scowled at him and moved closer in a hopping gait. Looking down Yuri discovered why the woman walked so oddly. In the place of human feet were two huge, yellow chicken feet that attributed to the unnatural bounce to the woman's step.

Yuri was so shocked by the clawed appendages that he didn't realize how close the hag was until a knotted wood staff emerged from her cloak and bopped him on the head.

With a cry of pain Yuri fell to the floor while grasping his throbbing head.

"Don't ye raise yer voice at me boy! Didn't yer parents teach ye to respect yer elders? Eh?" growled the old woman, brandishing the staff as if to deal the youth another blow.

"Yes," he squeaked.

"Yes what boy?"

"Yes they taught me to respect my elders," replied Yuri quickly for fear of being hit again.

"Hmph! Good, at least it wasn't a totally waste to let them raise ye up until now," huffed the old woman. "Though I see they haf done little in teaching ye of magic. I had not stolen ye away at birth only because Bob had assured me ye would get proper training from yer mozoku parent, but I haf been deceived."

Yuri stared blankly up at the old hag. What did she mean about teaching him magic and why would she have to steal him at birth. Did it have something to do with him being a demon?

Peering down at him the hag seemed to understand his silence. "Bah! Did they not even tell ye what ye are?" she demanded.

Glancing at his frozen parents Yuri felt so confused.

"They told me I was half-demon today."

"Argh!" she snarled in disbelief, "Today! They tell ye the truth today, of all days! And not even the whole truth at that! Fools, they are all fools!"

The old witch stamped her chicken foot in barely controlled outrage, and nearly raking him with the curved black talons before Yuri rolled away and scrambled to his feet. Backing away in fear of what the chicken woman would do in her anger Yuri bumped against the kitchen counter.

"Fools! Fools! Fools!," she howled and would have continued to howl if the front door hadn't opened at that moment. Reeling the witch practically foamed at the mouth when she saw who it was. "Ye! Ye haf lied to me! Ye told me ye would teach him, but ye haf not even taught him what he be!"

"He was too young," replied the tall, middle-aged man stoically as he entered Yuri's home. The dark sunglasses perched on his face reflected back the witch's furious eyes.

"Too young," the witch mocked, "he should haf been being conditioned and taught since infancy. It would haf been much less crueler than dumping all of this on him as an adolescent! No, tell me Bob the real reason why ye haf broken our bargain." The witch emphasized her demand by thumping her staff on the floor.

Looking about the small room Bob took in Yuri's frozen parents and the scared teen huddled against the kitchen counter. "What have you done to Yuri's parents Baba Yaga?"

Baba Yaga snorted derisively. "That weak spell? I haf merely frozen their movement; they are still alive and can see and hear us. I was testing the boy's knowledge in breaking spells but he. knows. nothing," the witch growled accusingly, "Now answer mine question!"

"I have nothing but respect for you Baba Yaga, but I am honor bound to protect the child until his destiny is fulfilled and his destiny does not include Japan nor dragons," replied Bob sternly in a tone that brokered no refusal. The witch Baba Yaga only laughed at him.

"Did ye think ye could just ignore it? Did ye think _he _could ignore it," she pointed a gnarled finger at Yuri, "Ye are a fool. Ye would haf him deny his very nature because it is more expedient fer whatever plans ye haf fer him? Ye are a selfish fool Bob, and I a blind fool to not see yer trechery." At this her voice grew sad and she tucked her head even closer to her bosom.

Despite his confusion Yuri could see the witch was in pain and he moved without even thinking.

Baba Yaga jerked and nearly squawked in surprise when she felt two smooth hands wrap around her own withered hands. Peering up she saw the kindness and empathy in Yuri's black eyes and couldn't help but shed a tear, because she had jeopardized the boy by trusting a demon.

"Ye truly are the one. Only one them would be so kind," she muttered softly.

"I don't understand everything that has happened today, but please don't be sad," Yuri pleaded as he stared past the thick folds of the witch's face and into her sad eyes. Yuri would have done anything in that moment to remove that sadness.

"Boy-," Baba Yaga started but was interrupted.

"Yuri, my name is Yuri," interjected Yuri with a smile.

"Yuri," the witch conceded, "There are things ye must know, things they," she spat at Bob and his parents, "haf hidden from ye. I wish fer ye to become mine apprentice and learn what ye will need to know to survive. Will ye?"

"I-,"

"Do not agree Yuri Shibuya," interrupted Bob, "once you do she will spirit you away and you will never see your family again." Baba Yaga rounded on him practically spitting with anger.

"How dare ye interfere! Do ye think me heartless demon? That I would tear the boy from his family when he is old enough too miss them? Nay! I would not be so cruel," snapped the old witch, before turning back to Yuri, "I offer ye an apprenticeship, not slavery. Ye would haf to come live at mine home but ye could visit yer family as often as ye wanted."

Yuri bit his lip as he looked at Baba Yaga's pleading expression, then at Bob's stern face, and then at his frozen parents. He felt as if he was being torn in two, but something inside him was urging him to trust Baba Yaga.

With one last look at his parents, who seemed to finally be recovering from the spell Baba Yaga placed on them, Yuri turned away from them.

"I agree."

And like that his fate was sealed.


	2. The Problem

**Authors Note:** Yo! I'm back with another chapter. There is a three year time skip from the last chapter, and this chapter will be taking place in New Makoku. In this story the war with humans wasn't imminent so Yuri was not called back to New Makoku when he was fifteen. Yuri is now eighteen. I know this chapter is shorter but it felt right to end it there. Peace.

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**Reviews:**

**SSJ4 Sailor Menz**- the idea for this story has been bugging me for a long time and it's a relief to write it. ^.^ Baba Yaga was the character that most fit the role I needed to fill but I was worried that she would discourage some readers. Thank you for being the first reviewer.

**rmiller92- **well here's more to read.

**Miyuki Meiru- **my goal is to update every Sunday.

**Jo**- thank you for the support. Hope you enjoy.

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Chapter 2: The Problem

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"Baaad Oomen!"

Ulrike was puzzled. Although Shinou assured her that the new maou Yuri Shibuya was still alive she could not sense him let alone draw him out of his world and into this one.

"A-are you sure Shinou?" questioned Ulrike hesitantly whilst peering at the translucent globe, searching for the bright light that would indicate the new moau's whereabouts.

"_Positive. I would have felt his death if he had died_," whispered the Great One into his priestess' mind. "_Perhaps we will have to try a more . . . direct approach_." Without words Shinou conveyed his plan into Ulrike's mind.

"That would be very dangerous. Not even you know all the dangers that world presents yet you suggest sending an escort party through?"

"_It is our only option. We have only barely been able to stave off another mozoku/human war until the maou matured. We cannot avoid it any longer; Yuri Shibuya must be called home_."

With a sigh the deceivingly child-like priestess knotted her fingers in concentration. Even if they sent a search party onto Earth that world was just as vast, if not vaster, than this world. Finding the maou would be a nearly impossible task.

"_Send them to the Earth Maou. He will know_," and with that last piece of advice the Great One's voice faded away. It had become harder and harder for Shinou's spirit to speak to Ulrike over the last three years and she was growing worried. If Shinou's spirit was truly fading she would need to act fast and safely ferry the new demon king to this world before the power to do so was lost to her.

Biting her lip Ulrike turned and exited the chamber. She needed to inform the nobles of her problem and the Great One's solution.

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The news had gone over better the she had hoped and she was optimistic about her choices for the search party.

"So we have to go track down some wimp?"

Well except for that one. Wolfram Von Bielefield would not have been one of her first choices but Ulrike's instincts were urging her to send him as a part the mission.

"Wolfram! How dare you call his majesty a wimp! I'm sure his majesty will be the most regal, the most charmingly gentle, the most courageous and the most . . . ," Gunter continued on like that for awhile and Ulrike sighed with relief that her instincts did not urge her to pick Gunter Von Christ. One difficult person on this trip would be more then enough.

Yes you are charged along with Sir Conrart Wellar, Yozak Gurrier, and . . . Daucauscas," the foot soldier that had accompanied the nobles looked taken aback at the priestess' sudden and unprecedented recruitment but he stiffly saluted anyway, stuttering an affirmative. Ulrike continued, "To go to the world known as Earth, enlist the aide of the Earth Maou Bob, and bring the new maou, Yuri Shibuya, back to Shin Makoku. Do you have any questions?"

"How would they be getting there," started Gwendal before being interrupted by Gunter.

"More importantly why was I not chosen to find his most stunning majesty?" the lavender haired lord wailed.

"Both you and lord Gwendal are needed here in Shin Makoku until his majesty returns," replied Ulrike diplomatically, "and to answer your question Lord Gwendal, I and his greatness will combine our strength to ferry the search party across to the other world. I will direct the transportation so you will arrive as close to the Earth Maou as possible. As for the language barrier I believe Lady Anissina has a solution."

"Behold my latest invention!" exclaimed the red head, completely unaware of the waves of dread washing over the others as she handed out the ear buds. "It is called 'let-me-understand-you-better-kun!' It will translate any language you come across!"

Ulrike smiled indulgingly, "Yes it was very clever of you to create such an invention within such a short time."

"Aren't I? If you would wait to depart for a few days I could have a multitude of helpful inventions you could-," Anissina started.

"NO!" shouted everyone else in the room including Ulrike.

Suddenly embarassed, Ulrike gave a polite cough and said in quieter voice, "no that would be quite unnecessary as time is of the essence and the search team must depart immediately."

"Now," the small priestess addressed the search party, "if you four will follow me we will prepare you for the journey." Turning, Ulrike walked back into the temple with the four mozoku following her.

"I still don't see why I can't go," pouted Gunter.

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"If you can't bring the brat over here now, how would sending us there help?" questioned Yozak as he tugged on the white gown the other priestesses had made him wear. The other three were in similar garments with nothing but their swords strapped securely to their backs.

"It is because we, being Shinou and I, suspect that an outside force is influencing our ability to connect with Yuri. Once that outside force is negated I will be able to bring him back, but if worse comes to worse and you cannot remove the force one of you could always grab onto his majesty and signal to me to pull you back. If you can touch him being able to sense him in my mind will be a moot point."

"But what if whatever is keeping you from sensing Yuri will keep you from sensing us when we encounter it?" Conrart wisely suggested.

Ulrike nodded solemnly, "In that case you will be forced to negate the effects of whatever is responsible whether it be a person, place, or thing."

"How can we signal to you?" asked Yozak, still tugging fretfully on the shapeless garment.

"If you are able to find his majesty you will have to channel some maryoku into this," she handed a thick-chained pendant to wolfram, as he was the only one of the party that a hope of summoning enough power to activate it. "It won't need much, just a spark, but it will radiate with magical energy. I will be able to feel the brief flash of power and I will immedietly pull everyone back."

"What a weakling to be caught in some trap," growled Wolfram, as he grudgingly excepted the heavy pendant and slid it over his head,but then faltered when he felt an odd sensation encompassing his body. The blond haired mazoku yelped as he felt a force stretching him downward.

Ulrike, finally finished with the spell watched as the mazoku sank through the floor.

"Good luck. You will need it," the exhausted priestess spoke to the empty room.


	3. The Birthday Present

**Authors Note:** Hiyas! I've been wondering something for the longest time and it's now starting to irk me like some unscratched itch. Why when in both the manga, the anime, and this website spell Yuri's name with one "u" does youtube and some other people (including me) tend to spell with two "u's"? Where did this unholy urge to misspell Yuri's name come from? It's like the extra "u" came from hell to torment me! Argh! Any who time for another chapter, hope you enjoy and review.

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**Reviews:**

**Miyuki Meiru:** Baba Yaga is a witch from Slavic folk tales. My character was inspired by that Baba Yaga, but there will be differences like personality and physical traits. For example the Baba Yaga from folk tales lives in a house that was built on chicken legs (a reference is made to this in the movie _Howl's Moving Castle_); my Baba Yaga actually has chicken feet. I also suspect that Yababa from _Spirited Away_ was also inspired by her. If you are curious for more I suggest googling her.

**rmiller92- **thanks for the review!

**SSJ4 Sailor Menz-** Like I said above I intend to use many aspects of the folk lore but I have changed a few things about her to make her better fit into the story, and thanks for the advice its been over a year since I watched KKM and I may get some other things wrong though I'm trying to brush up on it by buying the manga.

**Yuuri and Wolfram's Admirer**- I can't wait too, but it'll be a while till I can, in good conscience, allow Yuri to utterly ravish Wolfram. As for Baba Yaga I'm treating her as a foreigner that doesn't quite have the language down pat, seeing as she is originally Slavic. (Argh! There's that extra "u"!)

**Yuuri to Uorufuramu**- Thanks for the tip it's been awhile since I've immersed myself in KKM. (There it is again! It's driving me crazy!)

**Bittersweet Apathy**- Even in the manga I'm sure Wolfram was convinced the new Maou would be a wimp before he even met Yuri. He was pretty accurate in the manga but he won't be in my fan fiction. My Yuri will be more mature and tougher but he will still be kind, gentle and have some of that adorable awkwardness associated with Yuri. The largest difference will be that there is no "Maou mode" but rather Yuri will be a combination of his two personalities in the manga, since the "Maou mode" came out because Yuri was pulled back to the demon world prematurely. I think the time "leap" was necessary so I could introduce a far more matured Yuri. No need to apologize I really enjoyed your review and hope you review again in the future whether its rant or just an acknowledgement that you're still reading.

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Chapter 3: The Birthday Present

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Baba Yaga was regretting her birthday present to Yuri almost as soon as the excited eighteen-year-old's eyes fastened greedily on her mortar.

"Yuri," she growled warningly.

"I know, I know. Turn the pestle right to go left and vice versa, keep my eyes peeled for birds and don't fly through a cloud, I get it. I've watched you drive it enough to know how it works Baba-sensei," said Yuri crossing his silk clothed arms defensively.

"Watching isn't the same brat!" she snapped, clacking her taloned toes in annoyance. Promising her apprentice that he could drive them to his parent's house was about the worst idea she had ever had, but it was the only thing he wanted for his birthday and she wasn't keen to deny it to him.

"Are yer horns hurting any?" she suddenly inquired trying to distract the teen from his birthday present.

Scowling the teen reached above his head to tug distastefully at the two six-inch, ebony horns that curved up from his hair.

"No they haven't ached for days," Yuri grumbled as he sent his finger sliding over the smooth, hard antlers that had begun growing from his head last year.

Baba Yaga smirked a little as she remembered her young student's reaction when he discovered his new attributes. Yuri was about has happy as a wet chicken.

"Good," she grunted as she scratched the packed dirt of the training grounds with her clawed-foot absently, "that means they haf stopped growing. Now that ye are eighteen I doubt yer appearance will change anymore, or at the least any changes will not be nearly as drastic as what ye've been experiencing this year past."

Looking up she examined her student with pride in her eyes. Three years had past since the day she took Yuri as her student. Baba Yaga knew that as a witch there were a few things she could not teach Yuri but what she couldn't teach him came as instinct and Yuri had grown into an admirable lung.

His appearance had changed much in the time she spent with him. Yuri had changed from an awkward adolescent into a very handsome young man and she felt both pride and heartbreak, like a mother that knew her son would soon leave the nest.

The witches eyes flicked to the side as she caught a flicker of movement in her peripheral vision but dismissed it when she saw it was just the invisible servants hanging laundry.

"Good," Yuri sighed with relief as he fingered his elegantly tapered ears, "dragon horns and elf ears are more than enough for me. I don't think I could stand being even more of a freak—Ow!" Yuri yelped as he clutched his sore head.

"Ye are no freak! I will not haf ye speak of yerself thusly!" reprimanded Baba Yaga, her accent growing thicker as she ground her staff into the dirt. Yuri had named her staff 'the Stick of Never-Ending Headaches' because of the witch's penchant for hitting him on the head with it whenever her student angered her.

"These horns," she bounced her staff between the two single-twine antlers, something else she had developed a penchant for, "and those ears are a symbol of yer honorable calling and ye should be proud of them. They only enhance yer beauty Yuri, and if anyone could say otherwise they are blind fools."

Baba Yaga did not lie. The way Yuri's blunt-ended horns shone on a moonlit night could only be described as beautiful and the elegant points of his ears were considered very attractive by any kind of monster native to Japan. Suddenly a wry grin spread over her heavily wrinkled face.

"As ye should well know Yuri since ye can hardly walk beyond mine walls without getting propositioned," at her smug words Yuri flushed in embarrassment and began to sputter denials. Cackling, the old witch patted her student's hand in mock sympathy, oh how she enjoyed teasing Yuri about his very determined and very unhuman suitors.

Baba Yaga's home was on an obscure flattened bit of mountain. The Mountian was uninhabited by humans but was home to many spirits, Japan-native demons, and monsters like herself.

The witch had found that with each new land she moved to her magical dwelling changed to suit it. No longer was her home a hut the danced on chicken legs, but rather a traditional Japanese mansion including a garden, training grounds, and a thirty foot wall that surrounded the compound.

The fact that the wall did not have a traditional door didn't matter since both she and Yuri could just fly over it.

Though, she noted dryly, Yuri's suitors did not appreciate the seemingly impenetrable wall, nor the three riders that guarded the wall. Even the most determined of them had yet to find a way to sneak inside or, at least, find a way to spy over the wall, but that didn't stop them from pestering Yuri whenever he left the compound.

"I have no idea what you are talking about. In fact! I suspect you are going senile Baba-sensei," stated Yuri with whatever dignity he could muster, which quickly fled him at look on his teacher's face.

"Yuri," she hissed.

Panicking Yuri hastily caught the staff before it could wallop him on the head but failed to block the well aimed kick to his chest. Despite Baba Yaga's small stature she has as strong as an ox and the kick sent Yuri flying to the opposite side of the training grounds.

"Next time ye wish to call mine sanity into question ye had better be sure ye can dodge the second blow!" she yelled to him, more amused than angry.

Grumbling, her apprentice got to his feet and the dirt was brushed from his dark blue hakama and white patterned kimono by the invisible hands of the household servants.

Although she usually allowed Yuri to wear less formal clothing, today she had insisted because it was his birthday. Yuri had outright refused to wear the Sokutai that was far more suitable to his station and she couldn't help but agree with him that it looked very uncomfortable and stuffy, and the hat just looked plain silly.

The reason she had insisted on wearing and making Yuri wear traditional Japanese clothing was very simple. She loved the fashion. It was the main reason she had migrated to this country centuries ago. The japanese culture certainly carried more flair and elegance than her slavic one did, though she loved both cultures equally, but for different reasons.

Yuri had often accused her of being just like his mother in regards to her love of dressing him up like a doll. Baba Yaga could never decide whether she wanted to scowl or laugh at the comparison.

Quirking her lips she peered up at the sun's position in the sky.

"Hmph, we best be on our way Yuri. Ye wouldn't want to be late to yer birthday party would ye?" Baba Yaga turned and hop-walked to where her stone mortar sat near the garden shed without waiting for an answer, already knowing her apprentice would be anxious to visit his human/mazoku family.

It gave her a bitter taste in her mouth just thinking about the way they had lied not just to her but also to Yuri. It was a good thing she had checked up on him or he would have had to go through these changes alone.

An Imperial Lung was only born fifty generation after the previous one died, making them the rarest species on the planet, not to mention cherished and revered above all other creatures. Physically they are no different than an average lung, which weren't common either, except for having a fourth finger on their hands in dragon form, and that they reproduced mystically rather than physically like a three-fingered lung.

Magically they are unrivaled.

Yuri's mazoku blood made his magic even more potent, which Baba Yaga had once found odd because most mazoku she had encountered during the last century have been so inbred with humans that they had almost no magic, but had soon dismissed it as a fluke of genetics.

"I can still drive us there right?" asked Yuri as he also walked to the mortar, which was little more than a huge stone bowl that was large enough to carry two comfortably. The mortar was imbued with her magic so by directing its pestle she could travel great distances through the air.

"I already said ye could," she answered with an inward grimace. Although Yuri had proven to be a tremendous flyer in his dragon form, which was no small feat considering that Japanese dragons had no wings, Yuri had shown no such talent for flying on any of the other magical devices like her broom or the fan she had won in a bet with a wind sprite. So inept was he that he couldn't even fly a magic carpet; and those are the easiest!

But despite his constant failures her idiot apprentice kept trying and refused to be discouraged no mater how many times she tried to do just that.

Baba Yaga winced at the memory of Yuri on an out of control flying carpet skidding through her garden, sending sprays of mangled flowers and dirt into the air, or when he crashed into the black rider while on the broom stick. Yuri had sent her poor servant flying off his horse and into a puddle of mud. The black rider still hadn't forgiven him, though the other riders praised Yuri's good aim whilst choking on their own laughter.

Still wincing Baba Yaga hopped into the front of the mortar while Yuri climbed into the back to access the pestle. For the first time ever she wished mortar's had seatbelts.

* * *

Baba Yaga's held breath came out in rush as the mortar finally touched ground in the backyard of Yuri's childhood home. It was an effort to relax her stiff fingers from their tight grasp on the rim of the gray, stone bowl.

It was twilight now and she praised her lucky stars that they had gotten here before Yuri had the chance to fly at night.

Despite the perfect landing the entire ride had been filled with jerky starts and stops and punctuated with tilts that nearly dumped them both from the bowl before she briefly seized control of the pestle to prevent the mortar from capsizing in midair. But after evening them out she once again forced herself to relinquish control back to Yuri.

Not to mention Yuri's near-elimination of a migrating flock of cranes.

The chicken-footed witch wasted no time scrambling out of the mortar and onto solid land. Yuri, at a much slower pace, swung himself over the rim and onto the patchy lawn.

"That was fun, but I think with a little more practice—," started Yuri.

"Absolutely not!" growled Baba Yaga vehemently as she gasped for air, "the only flying ye will be doing around me is in yer dragon form young lung. As far as I am concerned yer birthday present was to fly here, not back."

"Yeah, yeah Baba-sensei," leaning down the sable eyed boy gave her a chaste kiss on her withered cheek, "thank you for the birthday present, it was great." Yuri smiled kindly down at her.

Baba Yaga grumbled a little in embarrassment. In her old country she had been feared and hated by all because of her looks and dark powers. It had made her a hard and bitter old woman with more cruel tendencies than naught, but Yuri had changed much of that.

Eastern dragons, also known as lungs, were notorious pacifists and had very gentle demeanors. An imperial lung like Yuri despite their immense power were more like to embrace you than attack you no matter if you were a honored hero or a despicable villain.

Just being in his presence for extended periods of time would turn even the devil into something softer.

"Yu-chan!" came an exclamation from within the house as Yuri's mother spotted her now grown up child.

Yuri looked briefly at her for approval before heading into the house when she gave it, and she followed more slowly. Despite her student's previous efforts to include her in these visits she was often ostracized by the father and older brother, the mother seemed to hold no grudges.

The old witch did not particularly care, other than that the rejection saddened Yuri, as she was not entirely ready to forgive them either, so she came as a quiet observer, watching over Yuri as he visited his family.

Baba Yaga was no liar and she kept her promise to Yuri to allow him to visit his family as often as he wanted. At first Yuri visited his family at least twice a week, but as she had predicted the visitations had grown shorter and farther between as time passed.

Lately Yuri only visited on special occasions like birthdays and important holiday. It was too be expected, especially since in the past year he had been going through something akin to dragon puberty and was unsure how his family would react to the drastic changes, such as his horns, ears, and the slitted pupils of his eyes.

His mother, an odd and eccentric woman Baba Yaga had yet to fathom, was ecstatic at the changes in her son. Apparently she found his horns and ears unbearably cute; like she said, an odd woman.

The father was grudgingly acceptant, and the brother was very determined to blame her for 'corrupting' his 'little brother'. Ha.

Yuri's older brother Shori was the largest reason her apprentice was avoiding his family, not her as Shori suspected. The unbearably controlling and unaccepting brother clearly made her student uncomfortable and sad.

She suspected, but did not know, that he was the reason Yuri had come to view his new appearance with distaste, and it made her want to do something nasty to the mazoku brat. Like turning him into a rat.

She refrained from doing just that only because Yuri would get mad at her and just turn him back immediately, he now had the knowledge to break such paltry transformation spells.

Sighing she hopped up the back porch steps leading to the already charged atmosphere of the house. This was sure to be another short visitation.


	4. The Big Brother

**Author's Note:** Yo! I am currently attempting to draw a sort of pseudo title page for this story and post it on Deviant Art for you guys to see. It will (hopefully) include a depiction of Yuri (horns and all) and what Yuri looks like as a dragon. In the background I'm thinking of including Baba Yaga and Wolfram. By the way, does anyone know the difference between hits and visitors? Anyway I hope you enjoy this new chapter and review since I am a Blurbitar and I feed on reviews and used klinex. :]

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**Reviews:**

**zutarababe**- It really is too bad. Shori is justified in blaming her for Yuri no longer living at home, but he is too mean about it. . If reading this chapter doesn't make you completely despise Shori nothing will. Huh. So the extra "u" really isn't out to get me. Who'd a thunk it? Thanks for the help.

**watergoddesskasey**- thanks for the support, I'm glad you enjoyed.

**SSJ4 Sailor Menz**- Just saying I have loyal readers makes me so happy! I think the reason chapter 2 was much shorter and forced was because it had no Yuri in it so I didn't enjoy writing it as much as I did the third chapter. Thank you for reviewing!

**taiShafie**- Really? Lily? I guess I was being too melodramatic but I couldn't remember why I kept spelling it Yuuri. Thank you for your review.

**pink chayito**- Gosh I really wish I could read all of that. *much bummed* I take Latin which isn't at all practical since it's a dead language. *brightens* But I am very happy that you took the time to review ^.^

**Miyuki Meiru**- I'm glad you approve, and thanks for the review.

**mdevries08**- Thank you for the compliment, and I'll try my best to keep it interesting.

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Chapter 4: The Big Brother

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Yuri Shibuya was very conflicted about his big brother Shori.

"They've gotten bigger," Shori commented immediately, eyeing Yuri's curving horns with apparent distaste.

Yuri would always love his brother, but from the way Shori acted the young dragon suspected his brother loved him a little less with each physical change.

"Yeah," Yuri muttered shamefaced, "but Baba-sensei says they've stopped growing."

His brother really made him feel like a freak.

Yuri fingered his smooth, ebony antlers nervously. He tended to do that when he thought of Shori's initial reaction to his, at the time, newly developing horns. To be candid Shori had acted like his little brother had died and some demonic imposter had taken his place.

"That's good," reaching out his brother tapped a trimmed fingernail against one of the single-pronged protrusions. "Now that they won't grow anymore you should cut them off."

Did his brother not understand how much it hurt when he said things like that? He had no love for them himself, but he could hardly just saw them off! It would be like tearing off one of his arms or legs.

"That's absurd Sho-chan! Now you leave Yuri alone about his horns this instant," berated Yuri's mother. Turning away, Shori returned to his seat at the table while their mother ushered him over to his own seat. His mother bent close to his ear when she pushed his chair in and whispered, "Don't mind him Yu-chan. I think they are beautiful." Yuri blushed as his mother straightened and pulled playfully on the pointed tip of his left ear before taking her own seat at the rectangular table. His father was already sitting.

"Happy Birthday Yuri, how have your lessons been?" his father asked brightly, too brightly. Yuri already knew what his mazoku father thought of Baba-sensei's tutelage.

"They have been fine," Yuri answered briskly knowing his father was asking only out of courtesy and not any desire to know the sordid details of his apprenticeship. Looking down he noticed his plate was already filled with curry. Curry seemed to be the only thing his mother was capable of cooking, though he found that he liked eating it now that he didn't have to have it everyday.

"Oh come on Yu-chan! Give us more details," encouraged his mother, "What are you learning now?" A smile came to Yuri's face in spite of his father and brother. Yuri really loved that his mother cared about what was going on in his new life.

"Baba-sensei has been teaching me how to cast glamouries," Yuri started and then continued when he saw his mother's riveted expression, "Glamour is considered vanity magic since, for the most part, you can only use it on yourself. If done right the user can drastically alter his or her appearance with an illusion that can fool every one of the five senses."

Almost immediately Shori's interest seemed piqued.

"I'm not even close to that level of skill, but so far I have been able to fool sight and smell. Touch is the hardest one to fool, and Baba doesn't think I'll ever master that."

"Oh Yu-chan don't listen to her! You can master any skill you set your mind to!" encouraged his mother. Laughing quietly, Yuri reassured his steadfast mother.

"Don't worry I'm no where near giving up, and don't think poorly of Baba-sensei. She doesn't sugar-coat anything and a person's magical ability can suit certain spells better than others. For example, element manipulation is my strongest magic while Baba can hardly light a candle!"

"I heard that boy!" came a yell from the back porch where Baba Yaga had settled on a whicker chair to wait for the party to end.

Yuri laughed nervously before quickly trying to dig himself out of the hole he'd dug. "On the other hand Baba-sensei is a master of reality distortion while I'm more on the mediocre side." He listened apprehensively.

"Humph!"

Yuri sighed a little in relief since he knew that meant Baba had forgiven him, or at least chosen to forget the insult in light of the praise. Yuri was suddenly aware of his brother's eyes boring into him.

"So you could hide the horns and ears with magic?" demanded Shori, as if he couldn't comprehend why his younger brother would choose not to hide them.

The sound of Yuri's patience snapping was almost audible.

"Sho-chan! I said to leave your brother alone about his horns!" reprimanded their mother.

"Its fine Mom," Yuri muttered to her before locking his pitch black eyes on his brother. Loosening his magic like a clenched fist Yuri called upon his recent lessons and hid his horns and ears with glamour. When he had first begun his training Yuri had to search for his magic deep within himself, but with Baba-sensei's constant conditioning it was now easier to use magic than it was to not use it.

Shori shivered under the weight of Yuri's foreboding gaze, but any ill-feelings left in a wash of glee when he saw Yuri's horns and pointed ears disappear before his eyes. Yuri felt sick at the happy look on Shori's face and did not miss the veiled look of relief on his father's. He stood, knocking his chair to the floor with a clatter.

"Is this what you want Shori?" spat Yuri, glaring at each in turn, "Is this what you want Father?" His anger grew with each second of enduring the approving gazes that were being directed at an illusion. "Is this what you want?" he shouted when no answers came. Yuri's hand came down to smack the table in anger, and the dinnerware jumped. Startled his family scooted their chairs back as drinks toppled and splashed across the flowered tablecloth.

"Do you want some hornless human you can pretend is the old Yuri? You two are not humans yourself yet you reject anything that doesn't fit within those oh-so human parameters!"

"Ye go Yuri." Came a mutter of encouragement from the back porch. Yuri barely acknowledged it, so caught up in his anger.

"Mom," he cried indignantly, pointing to the distressed woman, "Mom is a human herself but is far more excepting than either of you! How can you judge me?" the infuriated dragon demanded, honestly baffled.

Standing, Yuri's father tried to calm him. "It's not that Yuri. It's just—," his father seemed at a lost. So Yuri filled in the blanks.

"It's just what Dad? It's just that you knew I was born as the heir to the last imperial dragon! It's just that you and Bob lied to mom about it and promised Baba Yaga, who had come as a representative for the monsters of Japan, that as a mazoku you would train me yourself! It's just that you went back on your word! It's just that you thought if you ignored it it would just go away!"

Yuri gasped for a breath of air before continuing in a quieter, but no less venomous tone, "Well guess what dad, and guess what Shori. I **am** an imperial dragon, and I **am** the most powerful being to be born in generations, and I **could** sink the Japanese Islands into the Pacific with a wave of power." Yuri fixed them with a withering glare as he stripped himself of the magic hiding his horns. "And that is **not** something. You. Can. Ignore."

"Oh Yu-chan," his mother whimpered.

"It okay mom, I've never blamed you," Yuri spoke softly. Seeing his cheerful mother so distraught drained all the fight out of him. He was almost sorry for yelling at his dad and brother, but then Shori opened his big mouth.

"I don't understand what the big deal is Yuri. If you have the choice to hide those, those abnormalities," he said the word like it was dirty, "and live a normal life, why wouldn't you?" He demanded.

"Shori," growled Yuri, the warning clear in his voice.

Completely oblivious to it, Shori barreled on.

"If you looked human you could come back home and go to school again. Everything could go back to how it used to be. Don't you want to be human again?"

His big brother really didn't get it, Yuri doubted he would ever get it, but he was done trying to make Shori understand. It made him feel frustrated, and it made him feel sad.

"That's just the thing Shori. I'm **not** human, and unlike you and Dad I don't want to pretend I'm something I'm not." Yuri felt emotionally exhausted.

He loved his family, but what he said was true. He did not want to go back to pretending. How could he when he had already tasted the freedom of flight? Yuri felt the most at peace when he took to the skies like a ribbon on the breeze, and the most at home while swimming along the bottom of a river.

Yuri couldn't imagine being confined by the restriction of humanity ever again.

Turning away from the table he walked to the back porch in silence.

"Yuri," Baba murmured sympathetically. She hopped off the chair she had been reclining in and took his cool, smooth hand in her warm, wizened palm and squeezed. He offered her a small smile in exchange for the small comfort she gave him.

"Will ye be riding back with me," she questioned softly, as if any loud noise would destroy his already delicate state of well-being. Hand in hand they walked off the porch and onto the yard.

Night had already fallen and Yuri could feel the cool breeze on his skin. Instantly he knew what he wanted. What he needed.

"No Baba-sensei. I think I'll fly home."

Nodding the short witch stood back as his body began to change.

As always there was soft glow that quickly turned brighter as Yuri's form began to grow and elongate. It had never hurt Yuri to change into his other, truer form; if anything it felt like stretching after getting out of bed in the morning. He had once asked Baba what the change looked like, visions of horrific werewolf movies dancing in his head, but he was relieved to find out that the bright light kept people from seeing much.

Within moments Yuri could feel his new serpentine body settle into itself. Ever since his first change Yuri's dragon form had been growing like a weed and he was now nearly thirty feet long from snout to tail. Like his horns Baba thought his dragon form was done with the growth spurts.

After inspecting himself in a mirror once even Yuri had to admit he was striking, if not beautiful. His ebony horns were significantly lager, but still held the graceful curve that was present in his human body. Shining white plates started at the base of his jaw and stretched along his underside to the tip of a tail that ended in a silky, black plume of hair. Yuri had instinctively known that the armor plate's purpose was to protect his soft under belly. His dragon head was wedge shaped and streamlined like his body. Instead of scales he had thick, plush fur covering his body and a swath of long silky hair that started on his head and ran along his curving spine. Almost all of him was colored in different tones of black and shining white.

Yuri had thought it was normal, especially since he had similar coloring as a human, but Baba-sensei was quite surprised by his coloring and explained that never in history has there been a black imperial dragon. Yuri didn't know what that could mean and neither did Baba Yaga, but he didn't worry about it much. After all it could just be another quirky side effect of being half-mazoku, like his strong magic.

Yuri stretched and uncoiled carefully in the suddenly too small yard, his fur shining midnight blue in the moonlight. Baba Yaga patted his furred haunch lightly as she hopped over his looping body to get to her mortar. After she had lifted off in the stone bowl Yuri bunched his sinewy muscles and was about to launch into the night air when he heard a soft gasp.

Snaking his wedge-shaped head around Yuri caught sight of his mother standing just outside of the backdoor with his father behind her. Shori was nowhere to be seen. Yuri's entire family had already seen him change, but no matter how many times she had seen him his mother was always delighted. His father always unreadable. Shori always appalled.

His mother was twisting her flowered apron in her hands, as she was like to do when she was nervous or distressed. His father's face was indecipherable.

"Yu-chan please stay," his mother pleaded, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes.

It broke his heart to turn away.

"I can't Mom," the dragon spoke, careful to enunciate every word, "I love you, but I just can't—," Yuri broke off there and lunged into the sky.

He never thought of how it was possible that he could fly. He just flew. Looking out of the corner of his eye Yuri could see his mom cry as she watched him spiral upward silently.

He also saw a curtain being drawn in a second story window. It was Shori's window.

"Let's go home," he heard Baba Yaga say from the floating Mortar he was now corkscrewing around. Without looking back he began to fly higher.

"Yeah, let's go home."


	5. The Bathtub

**Authors Note: **Howdy doo my faithful audience! I'm sorry about not updating the last two Sundays, but I had writer's block like you couldn't believe! The past two weeks haven't been a complete waste, I'm close to being finished the with the fan art (now Yuri is holding Wolfram bridal style (squee!) and since it will only have a head shot of Yuri's dragon form. I'm doing another picture that will just be Yuri as a dragon.) And I've gone through and did corrections on the previous chapters. I recommend going back and **rereading chapter two **because I made a few changes to the plot. This chapter will take place when the search team pops up in Bob's bathtub. As always I hope you enjoy the new chapter and review. Seeyas!

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**Reviews:**

**elderwolves**- No begging required. (Though it is appreciated)

**SSJ4 Sailor Menz**- Thank you! I love looong reviews! In my story Yuri's dad is going to be one of those dads that (as an example) think that being homosexual is fine, as long as their children aren't homosexuals (my mom is like that). It's the same for Yuri being a dragon. Yuri's Dad knows that he's meant to be the new maou and is worried that Yuri being a dragon is threat to that role (as does Bob). As far as I know there was always conflict between Yuri and Shori but never between Yuri and his father. I think part of that is because in the anime Yuri was always fulfilling his father's expectations, but in my story he is not so there is tension between them. I plan on incorporating Miko anytime I (plausibly) can and a sky ride would be a good idea. Miko had always seemed kind of unreal to me in the anime so I'm trying to make her less of an optimistic robot and more like a real person. And thanks for the tips. You see? A long review gets an even longer response!

**Miyuki Meiru**- I'm glad you can envision his horns and I love your reviews so we're even!

**watergoddesskasey**- Haku and Yuri are similar in that the are both eastern style dragons (lungs) so you could think of Yuri that way. At least until I finish the art for him. Thanks for reviewing.

**Bloody Sapphire Blade**- Heh heh. Spirited Away has certainly had influence in this fic though it's mostly superficial. I hope you do enjoy it.

**Aigle**- Aw shucks! All that praise is gonna go right to my head. I'm glad that you think my story is easy to read because that's something I've been trying to achieve. I know from my own experiences as a reader that even stories with great plots can be underappreciated because the format is just so hard to read. I am slaving away at my sketchbook so I can provide some visuals soon. Lets just hope my scanner isn't possessed by little gremlins again *rolls eyes* it took forever to coax them out last time. Thank you very much for the compliments; they make me want to write more than anything else.

**pink chayito**- I know Americans that spell English FAR worse than that. I'm just happy that you take the time to review.

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Chapter 5: The Bathtub

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Dr. Rodriguez couldn't believe what he was doing.

He was washing a stack of dishes. In the bathtub.

How he even got roped into doing the dishes when he was a licensed doctor he had no clue.

His boss, Bob, the maou of earth, doesn't like any semblance of a home life in his office buildings, so instead of doing the dirty dishes, left over from staff meals, say, in a sink they had to be done in a bathtub.

And of course, he would never share his blasphemous opinion that bathtubs were homier than sinks with the earth maou. He liked living far too much.

So there he was, kneeling in front of a large tub, up to his elbows in soapy water, scrubbing away, when there was an audible _pop! _And very suddenly there were four men squashed together among the suds.

"Get your foot out of my stomach Weller!" shouted the smaller blond haired boy.

When a large brown haired man tried to accommodate him there was flurry of slips and water splashed out just as one of men was suddenly plunged beneath the soapy water by the weight of the red headed man.

"Argh!"

"Ouch! Watch it!"

***Gurgle!***

None of the other three seemed to notice that their bald comrade was being held underwater by their combined weight. Snapping back to awareness Dr. Rodriguez reached over and grabbed hold of the blond-brat and yanked him from the tub and onto the tile floor.

"Ah!"

Not even pausing the doctor reached into the bubbly water, and gripping the red head's arms, began to pull. The other one seemed catch on and helped the doctor drag the bulky man off the drowning one.

Without the weight holding him down the bald man quickly surfaced and began taking great gasps of air. Again with brown haired man's help he was able to pull the remaining man from the bathtub.

For a moment they all just breathed and got their bearings.

"Th-th-thank you," gasped the bald man, his thin chest heaving under the thin linen cloth.

"Your welcome," he replied. Reaching down Dr. Rodriguez lifted the man's eyelids with his , "I think I got you out just in time. Any longer and you probably would have needed to be resuscitated."

"Sorry about that Dorcas," apologized the red head.

Standing Dr. Rodriguez swiveled to look at the other drenched men and abruptly he recognized the brown haired man.

"Conrad?" he yelped. Jose was amazed he didn't recognize him immediately although it had been eighteen years since they had last seen eachother.

"You know this man Wellar?" demanded the bratty one.

"I—Dr. Rodriguez?" Conrad asked tentatively.

"The one and only," the triple black answered, placing his hands on his hips and leaning back appraisingly. "How did all of you get in Bob's bathtub?"

"Bob," Conrad said sharply, "Bob, as in the earth maou Bob?"

"Y-yes, but how did y—," suddenly it all made sense! The sudden appearance in the bathtub, their odd clothing, the swords, and Conrad's presence! It all led to one thing! "You're all from the Motherland!"

"Motherland?" said the other three dumbly. Conrad, however, was used to such a reaction.

"Yes, the Motherland! Where all the earthly mazoku once came from!" the doctor rambled excitedly, "Though mind you there are demons that didn't come from there, but are native to earth, but they are of no relation to us. I have always wanted to go there you know? There is no earth mazoku that doesn't dream of going there at least once in their lives," the triple black said dreamily, and utterly unaware of the odd looks directed his way.

Y-you m-mean Shin Makoku?" barked Dorcas.

Dr. Rodriguez sighed happily and nodded, even the name sounded beautiful.

"Dr. Rodriguez," Conrad started, the triple black's attention went back to them, "This is Yozak, Dacauscas, and Wolfram. It is urgent that we see the earth maou immediately."

"O-of course!" his dark eyes widening behind his glasses, "You wouldn't come here unless it was important." Turning away he headed with a new sense of urgency toward the door. "Follow me!"

The group glanced at one another before hastily following.

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The trip to the Maou's private office was fleeting and soon the doctor and the drenched mazoku were standing under the scrutinizing gaze of the earth maou.

"I assume this unprecedented audience has something to do with Yuri Shibuya," spoke Bob in a low baritone after introductions were over. The earth maou's fingers were steepled and his broad shoulders were tense under his expensive suit jacket.

"That is correct Earth Maou," Conrad inclined his head in acknowledgment of Bob's station, "Because of interference from this world our high priestess Ulrike was unable to transport His Majesty to Shin Makoku. We were chosen to escort His Majesty back directly. The great nation of Shin Makoku would be grateful if you could assist us in finding our new king."

"The sooner the better," added Yozak as he eyed the room discretely. Dacauscas on the other hand was examining the room and its contents with naked awe.

Wolfram amazingly remained silent.

Bob sighed, removed his sunglasses, and rubbed tiredly at his eyes. The skin around his icy blue eyes was heavily lined with stress. Much of that stress came from the Shibuya brothers.

"Bob," Dr. Rodriguez spoke tentatively. His Boss almost never took off his shades. It not bode well. "Do you wish me to contact Shori—,"

"No," Bob interrupted, "The less Shori has to do with this situation the better."

"Who is Shori?" demanded Wolfram hotly, "And why would he be needed?" The blond crossed his arms petulantly across his thin chest. Yozak grimaced slightly, as he had been hoping the brat would continue to keep his loud mouth shut.

"Shori is my heir. I am not as young as I used to be and Shori handles many of my more taxing responsibilities," Bob responded coolly from his seat, "He is also Yuri's elder brother."

That drew some interest.

"If this Shori is part of His Majesty's family wouldn't he become involved eventually? Isn't he likely to notice if his little brother goes missing?" questioned Yozak, his voice laced with a faked amusement that hid his true emotions.

"It is unlikely that he would notice as Yuri no longer lives at home. He and Shori also share a very fractured relationship, in which, they go without seeing or speaking to each other for months at a time." The earth maou's voice was carefully blank.

Both Wolfram and Conrad couldn't help but feel a little horrified. Although the younger couldn't help but resent his elder brother's human blood he couldn't imagine not speaking, let alone _seeing_ Conrad on a regular basis. Conrad felt much the same.

"As my heir I trust Shori to handle many of my duties with a level head," Bob explained, "But Yuri is not one of them. I will be handling this without his assistance. With any luck we will be able to complete this 'rescue' mission without involving Yuri's family."

The earth maou stood from his desk, startling the other people in the room.

"Bob! You mean to go with them?" Dr. Rodriguez asked, astonished. As Bob had said before, he was getting very old. The past three years had been hard on his health, and anything that required travel or strenuous activity was now handled by Shori.

"That isn't necessary your Highness—," Conrad began hastily, but cut off when the man raised his aged palm and smiled indulgingly.

"Trust me Sir Weller when I say it is vital that I accompany you four on your mission. Despite your previous trip here eighteen years ago you have no idea what dangers you will be facing when you venture into the wilderness where Yuri now resides."

Leaning over his desk the maou pressed his index finger into a button and distantly a buzz was heard elsewhere in the building.

"Now," Bob spoke as he slide his sunglasses back on his nose, "You will be needing appropriate clothing for where we are about to go." Before he had even finished his sentence a handful of people flooded the room. "If you would follow them they will outfit you in the appropriate garments and then we will leave for Mt. Monsuta when you are all ready."

Wolfram looked like he was about to protest but both Yozak and Conrad hooked elbows with the blond and dragged him from the room while Dacauscas trailed behind meekly.

Everyone else had left the room except Bob and Dr. Rodriguez when the doctor spoke again.

"You know, you being there may be more detrimental than you not being there," he said carefully, "What with you and Baba Yaga parting badly."

The maou sighed as he sank back into his chair.

"I know," he acknowledged quietly.

Knowing a dismissal when he heard one Dr. Rodriguez left the office to its last inhabitant.


	6. The Suitors

**Author's Note: **Okay for all of you who have made comparisons between this fic and Spirited Away, I will not even try to justify myself in this chapter. This takes place the day after The Big Brother. I had to do a lot of research on Japanese monsters for this chapter and I must say that I regret making Dorcas already be bald. There actually is a Japanese monster that goes around and cuts peoples hair! It made me want to kick myself!

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**Reviews:**

**watergoddesskasey- **Thanks for reviewing!

**Miyuki Meiru-** *grins* Nose bleeds, I'm sure of it.

**SSJ4 Sailor Menz**- *hides face in shame* I'm so sorry it took me three weeks to update, but you are right Yuri is my muse and its difficult to write without him. Thank you for the support and compliments, I'm sure I don't deserve them after bailing for two weeks.

**elderwolves**- Thanks for the sympathy. I got the idea to respond to reviews at the beginning of every new chapter from a favorite writer of mine, BonneNuit. Whenever she responded to my reviews it made me happy, so I'm hoping to do the same (I'm glad it's working!). I'm not mad; don't ever hesitate to hand out some constructive criticism. I do all the proofreading myself so I miss things sometimes. It usually takes me day after I post it to realize I've made some mistakes, but I fix them as quick as I can spot them.

**Priscel**- *takes a bow* Thank you very much for the enthusiasm in you review, it is what makes me want to write more.

**ps**- Thanks for the support, and I hope you enjoy the new chapters.

**DevilsNvrCry**- Don't ever apologize for reviewing, I enjoy reading them too much to need an apology. I totally get what you're saying about ATM, and it broke my heart to write about Miko crying. Thanks for the commentary, and I hope you continue to review.

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Chapter 6: The Suitors

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Yuri loved his new home on Mt. Monsuta.

He loved breathing and flying in the mountain air.

He loved swimming in the clean rivers and the copious hot springs.

He loved exploring the untamed wilderness, and he loved the mystery of it all.

He just didn't like the neighbors.

"Please Baba-sensei! If you have any mercy please don't make me go there alone!" he pleaded desperately to his mentor. It made no difference, even on his knees and holding his hands out beseechingly, Baba Yaga was just too amused to care.

"Don't be a coward Yuri! They only bother ye because ye let them," the old witch chided from her seated position in her favorite armchair by the hearth, her scaly chicken feet kicked up on a velvet footstool.

"I'm the one being victimized!" Yuri declared as he jumped up from his prostrated position on the floor. Long gone was elegant silk kimono he wore to the disastrous birthday party. Now he wore the black zubon and blue uwagi that he usually wore during physical training.

"Ph! Ye are no ones victim. Ye are an imperial dragon, start demanding respect! Now go socialize, and don't come back until the morning!" she had to shout after him as the black-haired youth had already left the room. Yuri had already known it to be a lost cause but he had had to try.

The young lung lingered for as long as he could on the compound, but he knew when he had stretched Baba's patience to its limit. Yuri forced himself to relax into his other, longer shape and take off before Baba-sensei did something to 'encourage' his departure.

As always, all worries ceased as he drifted into the darkening sky. Baba-sensei had him practicing his forms all day and his muscles had grown tense from the monotonous repetition, so it felt amazing to be coiling and spiraling wantonly through the air.

Yuri took great pleasure in flying through the large, fat storm clouds that had been gathering around Mt. Monsuta since two days ago, and couldn't wait until it rained. He, of course, could easily make it storm as much as he wanted but Yuri had found that he liked it much better when he had no control over it.

Diving into another, lower, cloud Yuri nearly purred as he felt the gathering static sizzle through his waterlogged fur. Yuri's serpentine body burst from the cloud as wet as if he had dived into a river, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

Baba-sensei, of course, couldn't stand flying through clouds because you got soaked, but to Yuri it was just another reason to love flying.

Just as before Yuri knew when he had put off going to bathhouse too long, and was soon spiraling downward toward the base of the huge mountainside. Getting closer to the ground Yuri was soon plunged into an unnatural mist that blanketed the bottom of the mountain. It was that mist that kept humans completely unaware of one of the last true wildernesses of Japan. Most humans simply didn't notice that a mountain was even there, and the few humans unlucky enough to wander into the mist either by accident or purpose never returned to the human world.

Unlike the clouds Yuri did not like the mist and was glad that it did not extend very far up the mountain. The mist had a malevolent feel to it that made him feel like tearing something to pieces. When he had asked why Baba-sensei told him that the mist was generated by the Yobuko, mountain spirits, and they loved to start fights.

Yuri had to be careful flying blind so low to the ground. Who knew what kind of bizarre monster would launch out of near by tree to cut his hair, tug on his non-existent sleeve, or grind beans in his ear until he cried for mercy? Weirder things had happened since the young dragon arrived on Mt. Monsuta three years ago.

Soon even the thick mist couldn't stop him from recognizing the bright lights and sounds coming from Mt. Monsuta's bathhouse. As he drew closer the mist cleared and he could clearly see the bustling business.

The bathhouse was the social hub of Mt. Monsuta and everyone who was anyone was there.

Landing on the wooden, arched bridge that led to bathhouse, Yuri let his draconic body melt into his lean human figure in a flash of white light. There were, as always, gasps and cries when he made his appearance and almost immediately everyone on the crowded bridge froze and made some gesture of humility. A very select few merely inclined their heads, most bowed, and quite a few of the weakest spirits prostrated themselves on the ground before him.

Yuri was used to this and he also knew that arguing about the custom was futile, so he just walked past them. As soon as he was past conversation erupted again, that, and the gossip, he was also used to.

"Did you see him?"

"He's so handsome, beautiful even."

"They say he was raised in the human world until three years ago."

"He doesn't seem like much, I thought an imperial dragon would be—,"

"He's so young! I could just eat him up!"

"They say the Daitengu is seeking his hand."

"I heard that Mizuchi proposes every time he sees him."

"Mistress Kyuubi is not pleased that she hasn't been able to seduce him yet."

"I wonder where he keeps his pearl. Whoever can get it will—,"

"Yuri!" a voice shouted close to his ear, and the young dragon had to refrain from hitting his noisy best friend.

"Tachi," Yuri acknowledged as his white-haired comrade threw an arm jovially around his neck and yanked him into a one-sided hug, "It's been awhile."

"Awhile?" the young weasel squawked, his pale face was pressed close enough that Yuri could feel Tachi's whiskers tickle his cheek, "You think four weeks is awhile? I haven't seen you in forever!" Tachi and he walked side by side into the bustling bathhouse, happily ignoring the stares and groveling bows. "If I didn't know your slave driver of a sensei I'd think you were avoiding me."

"Why would I avoid you," Yuri replied with candid smile that had ladies in the background swooning, "You're the only person on this rock that hasn't tried to either eat me or get in my pants."

"Well, I'll have you know my mother is just dying of shame that I haven't tried to 'get in your pants', so I may have to make an effort just so that old badger will lay off," Yuri couldn't help but laugh when his tall, thin friend suddenly dropped to one knee as if he were proposing marriage. "So what say you Yuri, will you marry me? We can fly off into the sunset and make weird weasel/dragon babies together. Please say yes!"

In over-dramatized voice Yuri replied, "I cannot dear Tachi, for I love another!" The two broke into another round of snickers as the onlookers to their little drama gasped.

Tachi stood and cried, "Woe is me!" and promptly faked stabbing himself in the heart.

The two best friends were beside themselves with laughter by the time they reached the counter of the bathhouse. Where the long lines once stood was now empty space as the other patrons scurried out of Yuri's path. When they reached the counter there was a pretty young girl tending it that flushed when Tachi leaned against the counter and winked suggestively at her.

"Being best friends with an imperial dragon certainly has its perks," Tachi drawled.

Taking pity on the flustered clerk Yuri lifted a pouch of coins from his pocket and let it drop onto the countertop, the silken pouch spilled open to reveal gold coins of various mints, jewels the size of thumbnails, and a few opulent pearls. The girl's muddy brown eyes nearly popped out of her skull at the amount of treasure being so casually spent.

"I would like to reserve the suite baths privately for the rest of the night," Yuri informed her.

"Th-the rest o-of th-the night," she stuttered.

"Oh yes!" Yuri's shameless friend cried, "Yuri must be planning to ravish me in the baths all night long! However will I survive his lusts!"

Yuri, unperturbed, threw an elbow casually into Tachi's throat, causing the taller man to cough and sputter.

"Excuse my perverse friend," Yuri apologized to the scarlet faced clerk, "He was often dropped on his head at birth. I'm sure there is enough there to cover the expenses for the rest of the night."

"Uh, um, no, I mean yes there is but—," the girl trailed off meekly when Yuri smiled patiently at her. She glanced at the gold, took a deep breath, and then in a much more even tone said, "What services would you like included?"

"None except to have food available to us in the suite," Yuri answered smoothly. His friend made disapproving sounds, but the horned boy did not care. He hated having anyone bath him or service him like that, even if Tachi enjoyed the luxury.

"R-right sirs, here is your key," the girl shakily handed him a very un-key-like block of wood, "hand it to one of the servants and they will escort you to your bath. We hope you enjoy your stay and come again."

Dragging his weasel of a friend away before he could make anymore trouble, Yuri handed of the block to the first worker he saw, which happened to be a little black-haired girl. Nodding silently after looking at the 'key', she led the way to a private elevator that went directly to the private suite.

"_Sooo_, if you don't plan on ravishing me in the baths than why'd you spend so much to reserve the suite for the night," Tachi asked teasingly as they both stepped into the swanky elevator.

"Baba-sensei kind of expelled me from the compound until morning," Yuri rubbed the back of his head, a little embarrassed, "She said that she didn't bring me here so I could become an old hermit and I had to get out and 'socialize'."

"Aha! So you were avoiding me," Tachi pouted.

Reaching over Yuri gave his friend a playful shove, "You know I wasn't avoiding _you_."

"Oh I know, I'm the one who's been fielding all of your calls while you've been holed up in that mansion," Tachi mimed flipping through a clipboard and peering over a pair of glasses, "Mistress Kyuubi wants me to tell you Happy Birthday and that she just can't _wait_ to give you your _present_," Tachi wagged his eyebrows suggestively. "The Daitengu Tsukuba wants me to recite to you a cheesy love poem that I have long since forgotten except for the line 'black feathers against shining white skin," Yuri groaned, "And Mizuchi threatened to drown me in a river if I didn't renounce all ties to you. I, of course, told him to go sink a calabash. You should have seen his face!"

The elevator door opened and the two stumbled into the opulent room still laughing. The young servant girl quietly told them she would be back with food, and left in the elevator.

The private suite was made entirely of carved white marble, and the sheer lavishness of it made the kamaitachi whistle appreciatively.

"So this is where all you supreme beings come to bathe. Nice. I suppose you all sit up here washing each others backs and plan out how to subject us peons to your rule?"

Yuri rolled his eyes as began to strip his sweat and dirt stained clothes from his body. "As I have reserved them privately for the rest of the night I guess the other 'supreme beings' will have to do with less," Yuri said with a smirk.

"Jeeze Yuri what'd those poor bastards ever do to you?"

"Considering," Yuri slid naked into the hot pool besides his friend, "That both Mistress Kyuubi and Tsukuba are among those 'poor bastards' the more appropriate question would be what have the _not_ done to me."

Tachi chortled, "So Mizuchi isn't rich or important enough to bathe here? That must rub his scales the wrong way," the weasel seemed utterly gleeful and Yuri couldn't blame him.

Mizuchi just happened to be a foul tempered water-dragon that was convinced that the reason Yuri didn't want to be with him was because he and Tachi were lovers. They had already told him they were not lovers, but Mizuchi didn't want to admit that Yuri just wasn't interested in him. It didn't help that, just as frustrated as Yuri, Tachi had begun pretending that they were a couple in front of the water-dragon to get a rise out of him.

The two friends soaked and bantered for a few hours in their human forms before leaving the smaller bath for the larger ones in order to bathe in their true bodies.

Tachi turned into a huge weasel with white fur and dove into the water along side Yuri's longer dragon body. The two swam and wrestled in the large pools until they saw the sky start to get lighter through the glass roof. They both changed back and dried off before leaving the bathes in the elevator.

"Damn, I didn't think so much time had passed," yawned Tachi, flashing pointed weasel teeth.

"Yeah," the dragon agreed as he stretched in his clean clothes which had been washed by one of the servants while he was bathing. "I hope Baba-sensei will let me sleep in since she's the one who ordered me out of the compound last night." The elevator doors opened to the main floor and the two companions began to make their way through the thinning crowd.

"Don't get your hopes up mate. By the way, how was the birthday party?"

Yuri winced.

"That bad, huh? You should bring me next time and I'll—hey don't look now but big, bad, and hopelessly deluded is headed this way." Tachi nodded his head toward the front desk where Mizuchi had just turned angrily away from the clerk and spotted them.

"What are you doing," Yuri hissed at Tachi when he put an arm around the dragon's waist and pulled him against his body.

"The only thing that makes being your friend worth the harassment," the taller boy muttered into his ear, making it seem like he was whispering sweet-nothings to Yuri. Mizuchi certainly looked convinced, if his outraged expression had anything to say about it.

When the older male reached them his usually pale white skin was already red with fury.

"Yuri," the blue-haired man greeted tightly, "I see you still associate with _vermin_. I wonder what the business owner would think if she knew she had an infestation." Each word was dripping with venom aimed directly at Yuri's best friend.

"Well, Mizuchi," replied Tachi smoothly as he pulled Yuri tighter to him, "I'm sure you'll be able to find a new place to infest if the owner catches on. Don't be so pessimistic."

Thwarted for the moment the water dragon turned on his heel and stormed off farther into the building.

"Do you have no shame?" Yuri asked dryly to his sniggering friend. Tachi's spiked white locks were bobbing as he chortled.

"Nope," he acknowledged.

The two were walking out of the bathhouse when Yuri felt a twinge in his stomach. At first he ignored it but soon it turned into a dull ache.

Tachi seemed to notice his friend's discomfort.

"Hey, you okay Shibuya?"

"Yeah, my stomach just hurts a little," Yuri replied, pressing his palm against his belly as he tried to soothe the ache.

"You need help getting home?" Tachi concern for him was evident in his voice and the hand the weasel placed on his shoulder, but Yuri just shook his head.

"It's just a stomach ache, probably from all the food we ate."

Tachi's eyes narrowed in suspicion, "But I'm the one who ate all that food, you hardly had any."

"I'm _fine_," Yuri reinserted and proved it by transforming into a dragon.

Which the young man instantly regretted.

The dull ache had increased three-fold and now it felt like there was something rolling around in his stomach. The dragon groaned in pain and staggered a little, nearly knocking Tachi off the bridge with his thick tail.

"Yuri!"

Tachi had already transformed.

"Jeeze Yuri! You almost knocked me into the river! Stomach ache my ass!" he squeaked.

Unlike Yuri, whose voice stayed much the same, when Tachi transformed into a weasel his voice became very high pitched. As a result the weasel didn't talk much while transformed, but the near miss must have made him forget.

Yuri would have laughed if he didn't think it would make him scream.

"Here, just reverse the transformation and I'll carry you back to the compound," Tachi instructed the delirious dragon. Yuri bobbed his head weakly as his vision swam, but when he tried to initiate the change every cell in his body screeched in protest and he just couldn't do it.

"Can't," he panted out, as he laid his head weakly on the boards of the bridge. Yuri could hear a commotion as people began to notice the disturbance. Thankfully it was early in the morning and there were not many people milling around the outside of the bathhouse.

"Shit!"

Yuri blinked blearily up at his weasel-faced friend and pulled his furred lips back into what he hoped was a comforting smile.

"I'll just have to fly it," Yuri panted.

"Uh-uh! No way! You aren't flying like this," Tachi yelled in a shrill voice as the black lung staggered to his feet, "You won't make it! You'll probably hit a tree and snap that pretty neck of yours!"

"I'll make it—," Yuri started.

"The hell you will!"

"—If you help me," he finished.

Tachi was quiet for a moment. "How?"

"Just," the lung panted instructions, "whip up a good tailwind that I can ride all the way to the compound and fly beside me to make sure I don't fall."

The kamaitachi hesitated, thinking. Yuri hoped his friend would agree. He could not make the journey by himself and the lung didn't relish having to wait for Baba Yaga to come to him. He did not feel safe being so vulnerable outside the compound. Another wave of agony hit him as something that felt like a soccer ball moved in his abdomen.

"Okay," Tachi breathed, and Yuri almost sighed with relief.

The entire way home Yuri faded in and out of consciousness. Tachi did his best to keep his friend afloat but there were many close calls when the sickly dragon began to lose altitude and he had to carry the larger body while still flying. Yuri was very grateful that his friend had a strong and natural ability to control wind or this never would have worked.

When Yuri hit the packed earth of the compound he was hardly aware of Tachi screeching from beyond the wards for Baba Yaga. He mercifully blacked out.


	7. A Special Author's Note

**Special Author's Note: **I'm sorry that I could not update this Sunday. I and my family had to make one the worst decisions we have ever had to make last Friday when Abigail, our Labrador of fourteen years, had a stroke. We loved her very much and we wished more than anything that she could have passed away from natural causes, but we could no longer watch her suffer.

Half of chapter seven was already complete when this happened but I couldn't bring myself to finish it in time. I don't know how long it'll take for me to complete it, but I hope that you'll excuse me. I need time to grieve.

Abigail was more than my dog she was also my sister, my nanny, and my grandmother. I love her so much. Abigail has been a vital part of my life ever since I can remember and I can hardly imagine it without her. Even as I write this I can't help but feel the reality of it sink in. It's like to commit it to words is to make real . . . realer than I wanted to accept.

I wish I could say she was in a better place, but I don't believe in things like heaven and hell. It would be easier if I did. What can say though is that she can finally rest.

She's deserves it.

Yours truly,

BlasterBlurby


	8. The Limousine

**A Special Author's Note: **Thank you all very much for all of your support during my hiatus. All of your sympathetic and for many, empathetic responses were really heartwarming. Thank you again.

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**Author's Note:** Yo! Here's another chapter. For those of you worried about the sanctity of the Yuri/Wolfram pairing don't worry. Tachi is a platonic friend that likes to tease, and I don't intend for Yuri to have any meaningful relationships with the three main suitors. I'll not be updating Yuri's side of things until the Mozoku have finally met him. I'm done with the Title page pic but I'm currently arm wrestling my printer for the privilege to scan my art, so it might be a while till I can show it to you guys. The school year is right around the bend and anyone who has read my profile knows I don't write much during the school year, so from now on I'll be updating on the fly, because I doubt I'll be able to keep my once every Sunday schedule. I'm going to try to update once a month, but if you don't hear from me for a while, don't worry, this fic has not been abandoned. I just have a lot of homework. :(

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**Reviews: (Most of these responses were made before Abby passed. I'm grateful for your support but it would have taken up too much room to respond twice.)**

**elderwolves**- Haha I didn't intend to tease but to thicken the plot. Thanks for the kind words and I hope this chapter was worth the wait.

**Miyuki Meiru**- Of course! I couldn't imagine Yuri being with anyone other than Wolfram, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to give either a little not-so-friendly competition.

**watergoddesskasey**- I'm glad you think so!

**FireNymph9**- OMG is that you Tobi? Thanks for reading the story and I'm glad you like it! As for Tachi and Yuri I was feeling kind of bad about how 'The Big Brother' ended so I wanted to give Yuri a friend.

**Milky Etoile**- *sighs* I can't believe it either *looks around at other stories with way more reviews* I think it may be because I don't try to guilt trip people into reviewing. I must admit I do get a little jealous of other stories that have so many reviews, but I am very happy that I have the consistent reviewers that I do. Their (and your) comments really keep me going. I'm glad the Spirited Away reference wasn't so obvious. This isn't a crossover but I did take inspiration from the movie. The mystery of Yuri's sudden illness will be clear in a few chapters. I think I'll hold off on Yuri's end of things until the others are at Mt. Monsuta. Thanks for the review! I really enjoyed reading it, and hope you review again.

**DevilsNvrCry**- *grins* Thank you once again for the review. I'm glad you liked Tachi. I didn't like the idea of Yuri not having any friends since he's such a people person, though as Yuri said it is difficult to be friends with people who want to 'get in your pants'. As for how I came up with The Dragon King *embarrassed* I've had people tell me I'm obsessed with dragons more times than I could count and I see dragons everywhere (don't even get me started on Avatar). It all just kind of started when I was watching the episode where Yuri duels Wolfram and the thought came to mind 'what if Yuri was a dragon?' and then 'what if Yuri had much more experience with magic and fighting when he became Maou?' It all just sort of snowballed from there. Once I got too many ideas for the story I just _had_ to write them down. And so this story came to be.

**SSJ4 Sailor Menz**- A+ on your essay! Tachi will continue to be an important character though I don't want to make him too angsty as I created him to be a comedic friend for Yuri, though he may inadvertently develop more character traits the farther I go into the story. As for Murata . . . I really dislike Murata, and if I could get away with it I would kill him off early on , but he'd just reincarnate anyway *rolls eyes*. I think he cares very little about Yuri as a person. At least that is the impression I got in the anime. Nice guess, but no to all of the above. I'll give you hint though, go back and read the gossip scene earlier in the chapter and think of eastern dragon lore. As for the date-rape theory, I just couldn't possibly have Yuri date-raped so early in the story! Besides I'm finding that it is very hard to make KKM into a darker fic. It's just too fluffy and sunshiny. Whenever I try to make something darker I feel like I'm corrupting the innocent! Kudos to anyone who can pull it off.

**ps**- Sorry you won't find out for quite a few chapters. You can, however, try to guess. I left quite a few clues in the sixth chapter if you know what you're looking for.

**priscel**- You've got it! It is a pearl but I'm going to give it a special meaning that won't be revealed until later on, but feel free to speculate. I'm in love with this fic too, because I get to read all these great reviews! *soaks up praise like a sponge*

**janelly49**- I don't know if I want to include Murata. I really don't like him, but if you readers want him in it I'll put him in (but don't surprised if I gruesomely kill him off, that's how much I don't like him).

**CrimsonQueen24**- Thanks very much for understanding. Hope you enjoy the new chapter.

**Wildfury**- Thanks!

**VersarFfion**- Hope it was worth the wait!

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Chapter 7: The Limousine

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Conrad had ridden in cars before, like the taxi he shared with Yuri's mother Jennifer, but he never been in a stretch limousine.

"I see you didn't have difficulty finding appropriate clothing," rumbled Bob in his baritone voice. He, along with his bodyguard Sharon, was sitting on the seat opposite them, and even though limo was dark he kept his sunglasses on.

Dorcas, who sat on the right end of the car seat, was wearing a brown samue or traditional clothing for monks, as he understood. The girls just couldn't resist dressing him in it because of his bald head. Yozak, to the left of Dorcas, wore what one of the maids had called a junihitoe. Even though they had explained that it was traditional court attire for a woman, Yozak just wouldn't relent. It was a very complicated outfit, but was also very beautiful. The green and gold pattern looked great with his orange hair.

Conrad himself was wearing one of the simpler outfits, as he wasn't comfortable fighting in elaborate outfits. It wasn't exactly a kimono but it couldn't really be called anything else. He usually couldn't care less how he looked, he was nowhere near as vain as his mother, but he had to admit the brown and gold autumn print suited him beautifully.

Wolfram, sitting on the far left, had actually gotten into a fight with the closet maids. If Conrad hadn't interfered it might have turned physical even. The kimono that the prince had ended up with was different from the others in that it had very wide sleeves. Wolfram had picked it because it was made out of blue and gold fabrics; much like his military uniform, but Conrad got the feeling there was something wrong with it. The girls had been far too happy with Wolfram's choice.

"No difficulties," Conrad replied with a pleasant smile.

Difficult wasn't quite the word he would use to describe it, so he wasn't lying.

Bob grunted. "I doubt any of you would feel comfortable in a jet so we'll be driving to Mt. Monsuta. Luckily it should not take us more than 8 hours; however it will be dark by then. The time of day doesn't really make any difference in according to danger, so unless you object we'll continue into the mountain when we arrive."

"We don't," Conrad informed the earth maou, night or day wouldn't make a difference to him when it came to Yuri.

"What is it that makes this mountain so dangerous?" asked Yozak.

"Mt. Monsuta," Bob's bodyguard, Sharon, replied, "Is the last refuge for monster-kind left in Japan. In the past their populations were spread out along the islands, but when the humans, who had once co-existed beside them, began to turn from the old ways the monsters turned from them. They began to mistrust and hate humans, so they isolated themselves."

"Typical humans," Wolfram muttered, his arms crossed.

"It would seem normal to you," said Bob, "But for us earth mazoku it is a strange way of doing things. From the very start of our migration to this world we have lived and cohabited with humans peacefully. It is for that reason that the native monsters of Japan have such little regard for our species."

Conrad quickly inserted himself in the conversation before Wolfram could make his thoughts on that matter known.

"If they have so little respect for mazoku why is Yuri living among them? Was he kidnapped?" Conrad voice became sharp at the thought of Yuri being held against his will.

"No," the maou said carefully, "Yuri left of his own free will."

When he said no more Wolfram spoke out.

"You have been being intentionally vague about anything that involves Yuri Shibuya. Why?"

"Because it is my fault it has come to this," Bob sighed, rubbing his eyes under his sunglasses.

"It wasn't your fault Bob," Sharon protested lowly, "There was nothing else you could have done."

"No Sharon. I should have at least told Yuri the truth. If I had things might have—,"

"What. Are. You. Hiding?" Wolfram growled impatiently, hands clenched into fists and his blond eyebrow ticking like he was about to attack someone. Probably Bob.

"If it has something to do with His Majesty we have to know," Yozak was loathe to agree with Wolfram, but the brat had a point.

"Yuri," Bob hesitated, "is not a full blooded mazoku."

"I already know that Yuri's mother is human," said Conrad, a little confused. Although some nobles like his brother would hold it against the young king, as long as Yuri was chosen by Shinou his heritage should not matter.

"Yuri's mother has nothing to do with this. This is something none of us could anticipate," Bob paused, "What do you know of dragons?"

The confusion was obvious on the mazoku's faces. What did dragons have to do with the demon king?

"Dragons are winged reptiles that are also an endangered species," supplied Conrad, bewildered.

"I thought so," Bob muttered.

"What?" snapped Wolfram.

"The dragons of Japan are very different from the ones of Shin Makoku," explained Sharon, "They are sentient, and often have more wisdom than humans or mazoku. Human legend actually states that a dragon taught humans how to become civilized. All dragons are revered by humans and monsters alike, but one is held in higher esteem than another, and that is the imperial dragon."

"I still don't see how this has anything to do with the Maou."

"The Maou, Yuri Shibuya, is the imperial dragon," Bob's voice was solemn.

Almost as one the four blinked and then—

"What?"

"How is that possible!"

"Is this a joke?"

"Wha—,"

—All at once.

Sharon and Bob waited for them to quiet down; once they were Bob started to explain.

"It was very improbable, thought impossible, but it happened anyway. Imperial dragons, unlike a common dragon, do not physically reproduce. Instead another is reborn fifty generations after its predecessor dies. If an imperial dragon mated, with say, a common dragon the offspring would not be imperial. There is nothing specific about where or to whom an imperial dragon can be reborn, but it is common for them to be born into human families. It was pure chance that Yuri not only was a maou, but an emperor.

"The monsters, having sensed Yuri's birth, sent a representative to take Yuri away from his parents and back to Mt. Monsuta. You, Conrad, have met Yuri's parents. You know as well as I that they could not have survived having their baby stolen away," there was something in Bob's voice that begged for some kind of redemption, some acknowledgement that he had done what he had to.

"They would have been heartbroken," Conrad said softly. He remembered clearly the pride and excitement on Mr. Shibuya's face when they spoke about his unborn child, and Jennifer's love for her son had been undeniable in the gentle way she stroked her swollen belly. Bob was absolutely right. Losing their baby would have destroyed them.

"Yuri's mother, Jennifer, never knew, but I and his father made a deal with the monsters' proxy, the witch Baba Yaga. If Yuri's nature was never kept secret from him and we taught him as she would have taught him then she would leave Yuri with his family. I am embarrassed to say that I did not keep my word.

"Three years ago Baba Yaga found out about my dishonesty and took Yuri away. Although Yuri still visits his family his main residence is with Baba Yaga at Mt. Monsuta."

"How will," Conrad hesitated, "_this_ affect Yuri's ability to become our Maou?"

"Yuri being an imperial dragon means he is an important part of high society at Mt. Monsuta, but as far as I know Yuri being a dragon will not affect his ability to be the Maou; however, it may be difficult to convince him."

Yozak was skeptical. "Why would it be difficult? We are offering him our throne, why would he turn it down?" The bitterness in the soldier's voice was evident.

"I have only spoken with Yuri four times," Bob smiled tiredly, "But it is clear to anyone who is looking for it that Yuri is a true king."

"What do you mean?" Dacauscas spoke for the first time.

"I mean that Yuri does not desire or seek out power for himself. He will not be swayed be promises of riches, fame, or power. Yuri is ruled only by a sense of justice that is instinctual for an imperial dragon. In short, he is incorruptible."

A sense of pride bloomed in Conrad's chest.

Yuri would be a great king.


	9. The Umbrella

**Author's Note:** Yo! Blurby here for another fantastic round of The Dragon King! Readers in the splash zone are warned that they could get wet!_ Or have their faces eaten by a renegade dolphin_, but when has that really happened before? Er! Really? _Fifteen times?_ Ahhh . . . Let's get back to the story. No Refunds! *Very carefully not mentioning the lack of updates, hoping the readers won't notice* This is a short one but i had to squeeze it out before i could move on.

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**Reviews: (please note the almost all of these replies were written two years ago)**

**watergoddesskasey**- Thanks! *squee!*

**DevilsNvrCry**- You're very welcome. *puffs up* I'm gonna try my bestest to update as quick as I can. Yuri and Wolfram will be meeting up in two or three chapters, and it's gonna be epic.

**janelly49**- Thanks, hope it wasn't too horrible a wait. Enjoy!

**Milky Etoile**- I'm glad it was so informative! I know I dropped some info during the Yuri chapters but I also wanted to have a chapter that clearly explained some things so there wouldn't be confusion. I really enjoyed dressing the guys up and *shakes scanner violently* if my stupid printer would stop *shake* being a *shake* jerk *shake* I could show you guys the pic I drew, which has wolfram in his furisode. Thanks very much for the review! Hope to hear from you again.

**Miyuki Meiru**- Hm *stumped* I'm not entirely sure. . . I think I will, but I'm going to put my own twist to it. Thanks for the review.

**priscel**- *hugs back* Thanks for reviewing! Glad it won't be such an issue that I won't be able to update as often, and no comment on the kimono. (my attempt at being mysterious)

**Aella Antiope**- Thanks for the feedback and I'm glad you liked that line! I was going to write more but sometimes I write something that just ends the chapter for me whether I intended to or not, and that was it.

**FireNymph9**- *hugs back* Salutations from the island of misfit toys! I'm taking a creative writing class now so all my creativity is being sucked out of me before I get home, but I'll update quick as I can.

**PS**- Yeah it's the kimono girls wear when they are of marrying age, hee hee, couldn't resist. Thanks for the review!

**elderwolves**- Sorry if I worried you, it took me a while to get my muse back, school work tends to send it running in the opposite direction. As a writer I find it to be immensely easier to write if I have an idea of how I want the chapter to end. I don't plan out the whole story because I like to feel it out, but I usually make what I call a "chapter guide". I basically type out the amount of chapters I want to plan for the moment. (For example my The Dragon King Chapter Guide currently is planned up to the fifteenth chapter but I don't intend on it only have fifteen chapters. The fifteen chapters are just a short term goal that when I achieve I'll be able to set another, like ten more chapters.) For each chapter I write some notes on what I want to be accomplished.

_Example: Chapter 7: The Limo_

_Yozak, Conrad, Wolfram, Dorcas, Bob, and Sharon are all in a limo heading for Mt. Monsuta. Conrad: Kimono, Yozak: Junihitoe, Dorcas: Samue, Wolfram: Furisode. Conrad inquires about Yuri and Bob begins to explain how Yuri is an imperial dragon._

It can be as simple or as elaborate as you want though I prefer to keep it simple, and sometimes I don't even follow it. I actually had Wolfram initiate that conversation instead of Conrad like I'd initially planned. If I don't write out the guide I usually end up burning out early. I hope I was some help! Thanks for reviewing and asking for some pointers, it was very flattering. Ciao!

**SSJ4 Sailor Menz**- *hands over some duct tape* I'm sorry! *sobs with you* Why can't summer last forever! *cries in the corner*

**Ideal Mind**- Don't worry about instant love connections. I hate them. I'll be explaining Jennifer's involvement more so later on. Remember, Bob is pretty much an outsider on this, and he won't know everything so he can't explain it accurately. Thanks for the good review; it helped me set some things in stone.

**The Spades Queen**- Me too! *hugs random dragon* Thanks for commenting!

**angelotyhb**- Thanks, and sorry but this is definitely going to be Yuram. Wolfram is just too much the nagging wife for me to put him on top, though I can see where you're coming from, canon Yuri is a wimp, but this is not canon and I'm trying to make Yuri seme-worthy. Ha ha! Get it? Seem worthy? Oh, I crack myself up. . .

**cd**- Soon as I could. Thanks for reviewing.

**Wolfy Pup**- I'm glad you do. Thanks for commenting.

**Mistress of Darkness32**- I'm updating as quick as I can, but as I said before, after summer I don't have a lot of time to write. Thanks for reviewing.

**S**-*Hands you a Kleenex* Sure thing.

**SecretSquirrel**- (I love your username) I'll try not to make you suffer too much. :]

**Meany**- Thanks.

**WezL**- I do try, thanks for reading.

**PriestessofBast**- Er, *hides face in shame* sorry for taking so long *fidgets* it's just taken me while to update thats all. . . sorry! *runs away*

**pink chayito**- Definantly, thanks.

**daemonkieran**- Thank you, I love Yuri's personality too.

**Shi Kami the Murderous Prodigy**- Update sequence initiated. . .

**henriette**- Eh, the timelines were a bit iffy but by never more than a day, now they're pretty much in sinc.

**JD**- Thanks for the review

**LeSinner**- Your wish is my command.

**KyuubiChild717**- No need to cyber-shout. . . Who am I kidding? I deserve capital letters, I haven't updated in a year.

**SB01**- That's exactly how I get when I get a new idea for the story! Thank you very much for the review.

**lilyona96**- obviously you love it because it's awesome *inflated ego* Thanks for commenting.

* * *

Chapter 8: The Umbrella

* * *

Wolfram hadn't realized he'd fallen asleep until he was gently awoken by his brother.

"We're here," Conrad told him as Wolfram jerked away from his brother's prodding hand. Glancing out the window he saw a forested mountainside that was shrouded in a thick fog. Mt. Monsuta didn't look any different from any other mountain, but it gave him chills, nonetheless. Scowling at his half-breed brother, Wolfram reached down and tightened the silk sash above his waist and ducked out of the car.

The sun was low and the sky dimmed as the party gathered near the rear of the limousine. Yozak, another half-breed, was stretching and Daucauscas was staring into the misty forest with noticeable apprehension. Bob had opened the trunk of the car and retrieved a walking stick, while Sharon shouldered a pack, which Wolfram assumed was filled with food and water.

"We'd better get moving," said Sharon as she walked carefully down the ravine toward the line of trees.

The others began to follow and Wolfram scowled at Conrad's offered hand until it was withdrawn. He did not need any help, especially from his deceitful half-brother. Wolfram suddenly wished Gwendal was with them, at least then he'd have a brother he could count on to watch his back in this strange new world.

As they entered the trees Wolfram shuddered as the fog touched something deep inside him, that once touched came roaring to surface like a trained sandbear. The group continued up the mountain side, but each was walking stiffly and each had their eyes narrowed dangerously.

They had been walking for a half hour before Wolfram blew, giving the essential spark to light a powder keg. The offense was nothing really. Daucauscas had only tripped and happened to stumble into him while trying to right himself, but it was enough set off the edgy mazoku.

"Watch where you're stepping Dorcas!" Wolfram snarled, slapping the man away from him with a backward sweep of his hand. Daucauscas lost his balance and tumbled to the ground, momentum causing him to roll into the mist and out of sight.

"Wolfram, what the hell do you think your doing!" yelled Conrad, his face lit in fury as he stalked back towards his little brother. Itching for a fight, the young prince strode forward to meet him halfway, but something suddenly plowed into him from the right. Gasping in surprise, Wolfram was stunned that Daucauscas had attacked him, even if he had struck the foot soldier first, it was not in the mazoku's nature to fight back. The murderous fury in the man's eyes frightened him, driving his own anger back for a moment. What was going on?

Daucauscas's hands groped for his neck, and another wave of wrath crashed down on him, washing away his uncertainty, as Wolfram fought to keep his own comrade from throttling him.

"Yozak, help me damnit!" yelled Conrad as he tried to pull the foot soldier off of his brother.

"Don't yell at me asshole!" Yozak screamed back, his fists clenching in sudden anger.

Meanwhile Bob and Sharon watched the scene in rapidly growing irritation.

Out of the corner of his eye, Bob saw his usually stoic bodyguard glaring balefully at the squabbling mazoku. Sharon, who noticed him watching her, turned those hateful eyes on him and Bob became certain something was manipulating their emotions, but what?

"What are you looking at," spat Sharon as she breathed the misty air in heavily, seemingly becoming more incensed with every inhale. The mist . . . That's it!

Lifting his hands, Bob closed his eyes and searched deep within himself for that elusive coil of maryoku. Finding it, he released the energy in a powerful burst of wind that blew the mist far away from them.

As if a spell were lifted the unreasonable anger was gone, replaced with confusion.

"What was that?" muttered Yozak, stumbling a away from where he had been fighting with Conrad.

"Some kind of enchantment," answered Bob, "It's purpose must have been to entrap outsiders until they could be dealt with. We need to move."

* * *

Yet another hour passed of them following the trail up the mountain, and they still had no idea where they were.

"Did you see that," whispered Daucauscas, flinching at the sounds of the forest.

"For the eighth time, no!" snapped Wolfram, tired of the soldier jumping at shadows. What a wimp!

"I-It's really there! I think its following us," he stuttered. His eyes were darting franticly around, trying to locate the thing he kept seeing from the corner of his eye.

"Ak! There it is again!" Daucauscas cried pointing frantically farther up the path where a shadow had just hopped across.

"Dorcas," Wolfram fumed a warning.

"Wait, I saw it too," called back Conrad as he drew his sword from its scabbard.

"Me three," muttered Sharon. The woman took a step back and reached into her jacket, grasping the handle of her gun.

"GOR-YUU!"

"Aghhh!" Daucauscas screamed in fright as the bizarre creature jumped out at him from the bushes. Both Sharon and Conrad spun around, ready to cut down the monster, but froze in disbelief when the saw what exactly it was.

"Is that an umbrella?" demanded Yozak, flabbergasted.

Almost in response to his words, the creature twirled on its one leg and bounce up and down excitably, its short, scaly arms waving up and down.

"GOR-YUU!" It shouted happily, its insanely long tongue wagged at them. Wolfram shuddered in disgust, ready to burn the dreadful-looking thing if it came too close. Seeming to sense his animosity, the thing stopped before the fire mazoku and blinked up at him dolefully with its single red eye.

"Its a parasol ghost," Bob concluded as he studied the excitable creature as it hopped in circles around their group, ecstatic to be their center of attention. "When an umbrella reaches its hundredth year, it is said that a spirit may possess it."

"Is it dangerous," Asked Conrad, still ready to fight if the monster attacked. Sharon, herself, was also wary.

"No," the Earth Maou replied, "They are actually docile accept that they like to scare humans, but its best that we keep moving. If a parasol ghost is here than other, perhaps more dangerous, creatures are sure to follow."

Wolfram almost felt a little bad for the umbrella as it realized that the group was leaving and no longer paying it any mind. Its arms drooped, its tongue went slack, and its eye began to tear up as the mazoku walked past it. Conrad must have noticed his hesitation, because he placed and unwelcome hand on his shoulder and said, "It will be fine. The sooner we find Yuri the better."

Wolfram glared and shook his elder brother's hand from his shoulder and turned to follow the others stiffly, when a sad but curious voice called out to them.

"Yuu-Ri?"

They all froze and turned in tandem toward the source.

"Yuu-Ri? YUU-RI!" Then umbrella began to shout the errant Maou's name with increasing excitement. Dashing forward on its leg, the parasol ghost ran ahead of them and started to wave its arms, heavily gesturing in another direction as it cried, "YUU-RI! BA-BAA! YUU-RI! BA-BAA!"

"Do you think it knows where the Maou is?" asked Yozak.

"Ma-oo? Ugh-UH! DAG-GUN! DAG-GUN!"

"Yes, it seems it does," Bob stared at the spirit apprehensively, "But it may just be playing a trick on us. It would not be above a parasol ghost's morals to lead us astray."

As the others shot suspicious glances at it, Wolfram stepped forward and knelt down so the he was eye level with the umbrella. His back was straight and his beautiful face was stern it looked the creature in the eye. The youngest prince had always had a talent for judging people from the look in their eyes. What he saw in the parasol ghost's eye told him that, despite its appearance, it had a honest heart and only wanted to help its new friends.

"It won't betray us," Wolfram nodded solemnly as he stood. The Umbrella eagerly grabbed ahold of his hand and began to lead him up the mountain. He ignored the others when they told him to come back and his stubbornness was rewarded when the heard the others grudgingly follow.

"Ho-Jii!" Looking down, Wolfram saw that the umbrella was pointing at itself excitedly. "HO-JII!"

"Hojii? Is that your name?" The spirit jumped up and down happily and the then pointed at him.

"I am Wolfram von Bielefield." Hojii seemed confused at first and all was blissfully silent for a few minutes until:

"WUF-AM! WUF-AM! WUF-AM!"


	10. The Pearl

**Author's Note:** Hey party-people! Are ya ready to have some fun! This chapter is a little weird since I wrote it backwards, hope it doesn't show.

* * *

**Reviews:**

**Elle von Werner-** Hojii is undeniably cute, and we shall see. Thanks for your review!

**Sailor Sayuri-** Well...I'm allergic to chocolate, so you probably just cyber-killed me XP

**WolfishPennings-** ;)

**watergoddesskasey-** I missed you!

**Wezl-** *strokes a crystal ball* Read on and you will find what it is you seek!

**CrimsonQueen-** I know you're probably freaking out right now...and I think thats awesome...as long as you don't have stroke...that wouldn't be awesome...

**pink chayito-** your reviews make me so happy :)

**Yumi-chan Hamano-** Thanks for reviewing!

**KyuubiChild717-** You find out now ;)

**grifincub-** Coming right up!

**Janelly Slytherin-** Thanks for reviewing!

**Lena-** Sorry, but no, I have a really clear image of where this story is going and its Yuram all the way. Besides, I've never really cared for switch pairings. Thank you for your input.

**blackirishawk-** Firstly thanks for the review! Secondly Yuri's sickness will be revealed in this chapter! Thirdly the ultimate meeting will be next chapter!

**RoxasIsReal13-** Keep up the great reviews!

**ShaqShaq-** TDK is inspired somewhat by Spirited Away, I love all of Miyuzaki's work. I try to write something different then what people have read before in a fandom, I'm glad that I've succeeded. I do have a picture that I illustrated myself, but my scanner is an almighty bitch. Might be awhile. Thx for reviewin'.

**veldraphone-** Request granted...

**Vavila-** I can't tell you how glad I am that my story pleases your soul.

**priscel-** Wolfram does have his moments ;)

**PriestessofBast-** This whole answering reviews on the update has gotten a little out of hand. TDK was the first fic that I wrote that had become so popular, I had no idea i'd be getting 20+ reviews per chapter when I started this. Its sort of become a monster.

**pyupyu-** The two will meet next chapter, I pinky swear.

* * *

Chapter 9: The Pearl

* * *

Another hour passed before the Mazoku began to relax. The parasol had yet to lead them to their doom and actually seemed to be helping them avoid the dangers of Mt. Monsuta. Often Hojii would scout ahead, only to come rushing back to lead them away from the danger it had seen in their path.

They were making excellent time until Sharon noticed how labored the Earth Maou's breathing had become.

"We need a place to rest," she spoke directly to the umbrella, Hojii.

"No," Bob protested, even as he leaned heavily on his walking stick. "We need to keep moving."

"I think," Conrad said carefully, not wanting to insult the Maou's pride, "we all could use a brief rest."

"GOR-YUU!" Hojii called as he hopped away and beckoned them to follow by waving his green fist. The Mazoku followed the umbrella down a hill until they came to stop at a door set into the base of a large tree. Here, Hojii jumped up excitedly and began to knock on the door.

"W-Wait!" cried the group, not wanting to disturb some fearsome monster, but it was too late. The heavy wood door slammed open and their ears nearly burst when a shrill voice screamed from the doorway.

"AND WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!"

Even Hojii seemed terrified as a rat faced creature shouted abuse at him. The rat-woman, she was wearing a dress and apron, paused in her ranting and seemed to finally notice she had an audience.

There was a thump as Dorcas fainted.

* * *

"I wasn't expecting to have guests," the rodent-like creature simpered, "I spent all of last night waiting for my idiot son to come back from the bathhouse, when someone knocked on the door I assumed it was him. I'm terribly sorry for frightening you and your friends, Hojii."

"Gor-yuu," the creature whimpered tentatively, not quite having recovered from his ordeal.

"So what brings you to my home, and with such strange companions?" At this the parasol ghost immediately perked up, going so far as to bounce about the room, waving his big scaly arms as he shouted garbled nonsense.

"Mazoku, eh? A bunch of backwards human-lovers as far as I've every been concerned," the rat-woman eyed them critically, causing Wolfram to fume, "but I suppose that you can't be too bad if Hojii has taken a liking to you."

Pausing, the women sipped her tea delicately, managing to look regal in spite of her furry muzzle. They were all seated on the floor, something that bewildered the foreign mazoku, and were amazed at how large the space seem compared to the trunk of the tree. Some kind of magic, perhaps?

"You may call me Nezumi-San, Mazoku," she said imperiously to them, "Hojii tells me he is leading you to Yuri-Sama. He is my son's friend, and a symbol to the people. What reason do you have to seek him out?"

"With all do respect, Nezumi-San, our business with Mr. Shibuya is a private mater, for his ears alone." Bob spoke calmly but firmly.

"Ha! I would like to see Baba Yaga-San's reaction when you spew those words to her." Nezumi's pitch black eyes narrowed, "And if I were to think it rude of you to withhold such information from me in my own household?"

Wolfram seemed ready to burst until Conrad place a restraining hand on his shoulder. "Then we would leave your home," Conrad replied, "to bother you no more."

"Heee," the rat made a strange wheezing sound in her throat, and then grinned, baring her razor sharp teeth to the suddenly uneasy mazoku, "At least you Mazoku have a backbone, better than I had thought. You may stay and finish your tea, but then you must leave. Your journey is almost at its end." Then Nezumi stood and walked from the room, leaving the Mazoku to wonder at Hojii's choice of friends.

* * *

As it turns out, Nezumi was right. Their journey was almost at it's end.

After they'd finished their tea, the mazoku drinking it slowly, so as to give the Earth Maou as much time to rest, they let themselves out of the rat-women's home and continued their journey. Hojii lead them up a steep mountain trail, that was short but treacherous. When they reached the top of the cliff, they were there.

Standing tall and nestled against the Mountain side, were huge, impenetrable walls. Their surface smooth and white, as if the earth itself had risen to create them. Along their top red clay shingles slanted downward, making the wall as pleasing to the ye as it was the defenses.

Living in castles, the foreign Mazoku were unintimidated by the wall itself. What concerned them, was that there was no gate, door, or any other conceivable way to get in. The walls were blank and ungiving.

"This is it," gasped Bob, still panting harshly from their tough climb. Stumbling forward on his walking stick, he made his way closer to the wall.

"How will we get inside?" pondered Conrad as he studied the fortress.

"No trees to climb or make a ladder from," supplied Yozak," and that cliff behind it is too steep to climb, even if we had ropes. Maybe we can blast a hole with Wolfram's magic."

"I would advise you otherwise, Mazoku," An inhumanly deep voice spoke.

Whipping around, Conrad, Yozak and Wolfram drew their swords. There, just behind, were three strangely armored men on horses. Each seemed to be a color personified, one being of white, one being of red, and one being of black. None of the Mazoku could tell which one it was that spoke.

"Riders," Bob acknowledged, nodding his head.

"Leave," again they could not tell which one had spoken, "You are not welcome here, Mazoku."

"We must speak with Baba Yaga."

"Our Mistress wants nothing to do with you Mazoku. Leave."

"We didn't come all this way, only to leave empty handed," snarled Wolfram, his sword poised to strike.

"Do not stand in our way," Conrad quietly warned, he too would not leave without even speaking to Yuri.

"Do not stand in your way?" The riders seemed to be amused by this, even their ghastly steeds let out spine chilling whinnies. "We are not guards, to keep you from entering. We are huntsman to chase our Mistress's enemies to the ends of the earth. You can stand there for a thousand years and never find the door. We will not stop you, only warn you of your folly."

"You will not hinder us, even if we were to find the door?" asked Bob quietly.

"No," they mocked.

Bob heaved a heavy breath and then he turned to the blank wall once again, shouting, "Hut, O hut, turn your back to the mountain, and your front to me!"

With a massive groan and portion of the wall began to dissolve, leaving a large circular entrance through which they might cross.

"Fools," said the riders, but when the Mazoku looked back, the three had vanished.

* * *

The smell of incense filled the room, pooling heavily in Baba Yaga's lungs and making her eyes sting. She knelt silently by Yuri's shuddering form, watching as the healer examined him. Sitting to her right was Yuri's dear friend Tachi, who she had temporarily allowed inside the ward. It was also the weasel who had retrieved Healer Kappa in order to help Yuri.

"What's wrong with him?" asked the young weasel, unable to wait any longer.

The wizened, old kappa merely held up a webbed hand and then continued to examine her pupil's sickly form. Yuri had yet to change back from his dragon form and he was far too delirious to give them any hints as to what was wrong with him. Tachi had been able to tell them little, only that Yuri's stomach hurt and he couldn't change back from his other form.

Healer Kappa gently pried open the dragon's mouth and peered down his throat. Humming, the kappa turned Yuri's head so that she could also see how Yuri's throat seemed to be undulating. A powerful spasm shook the lung's form and Healer Kappa was forced to drop the dragon's head. The scaly green creature began to work his way down the dragon's long neck, prodding and massaging it as he went. He reached the middle of the neck before he paused, groping at unseen obstruction.

Humming once more, the lanky kappa backed away and knelt so he was facing Baba Yaga from across Yuri's slack body.

"Lung-Sama is disgorging his pearl. This is a most auspicious day." Healer Kappa's voice was solemn but his black eyes reflected his pleasure at being the one to announce the coming of the imperial dragon's pearl. It was considered the best of omens.

"Auspicious!" Tachi sputtered, "Yuri is suffering! How is this in any way auspicious?"

"Idiot," Baba Yaga spat, smacking the boy with her staff, "To the people of Monsuta the disgorging of the imperial dragon's pearl is an omen of prosperity. Fer Yuri it is a sign that he is now an adult. Yuri may be suffering now, but this is natural, we haf to let it run its course."

The kappa nodded solemnly, "As you say Baba Yaga-San. I would stay and witness this most auspicious event if you would so allow it." The witch nodded absently.

"How long will Yuri be like this?" asked the weasel demon, chastened but still concerned. Yuri had obviously had a good friend in him.

"The process should be complete soon. The pearl is already traveling up his throat," replied the kappa, his eyes fastened on Yuri's sprawling form, taking in every breath and spasm. She was just about to join him when one of the invisible servants whispered into her ear.

Immediately she stood to attention, her gnarled face twisting into a sneer, "Those interfering Mazoku! Peh! How dare they just march into mine home, as if they haf the right!"

"Mazoku are here!" Tachi gasped in alarm, "What do those human-lovers want?"

"To take Yuri away no doubt!" Snapped Baba Yaga, "You, Weasel-boy! Put a screen up, or something, we mustn't let those backstabbers think they can take advantage of Yuri's weakened state." She snarled at the boy before exiting the home.

It wasn't long before she intercepted the group of Mazoku led by Bob.

"And what do you think yer doing here Bob?" The sheer anger in her voice was overwhelming and she had to dig her talons into the dirt just to keep herself from attacking.

"Baba Yaga," The Mazoku began, "You must let us see Yuri."

"I see the misplaced arrogance of the Mazoku hasn't changed," the witch snarled, "I don't haf to do anything ye traitorous cur! Ye haf thrown away any chance ye haf of hafing Yuri on yer side. The boy has given ye many times to redeem yerself, but ye threw each one away with yer rejection and betrayals!"

"Regardless," Bob responded heavily, "Regardless of my past mistakes it is Yuri's destiny to become the Maou." The mazoku behind him shifted uneasily. Absently, Baba Yaga noticed that she'd never seen these mazoku before. They seemed...strange.

"Ye haf Shori-brat fer that!"

"Shori will be the Earth Maou, not the Maou." For a moment her anger broke in confusion. Earth Maou? The Maou? What was the difference? "There are many things you don't understand Baba Yaga, that Yuri doesn't understand. You said to me once that you shouldn't deny something's very nature, just to make it easier for yourself. Don't make the same mistake I did. Yuri is more than just the Imperial Dragon."

Baba Yaga eyed the mazoku suspiciously, she had never heard Bob speak so sincerely. It was surely just a pack of lies, the latest deception, the mazoku king was just getting better at lying. However, she herself would be lying if she said that Bob's words didn't rattle her. Yuri was her child, her precious pupil, she only wanted to do right by him, but was it right to expose him once more to these backstabbing mazoku? Yuri was strong but he was too trusting, and was hurt far easily when that trust was betrayed.

"You'll hurt him again," Baba Yaga said quietly.

"I'll try not to. I never intended to hurt him."

The witch became resigned, her mind made up, but her heart still confused.

"Come," she snapped as she turned back toward the house, "I will listen to what you have to say. You will only speak to Yuri if I find your words worthy for his ears."


	11. The Rewrite

**Author's Note:** Hi! Sorry for the wait guys. TDK tends to get put on the back burner when it comes to my Harry Potter fics. God knows why, you guys are definantly my favorite audience. The HP readers are so damn mean and impatient! They're down right nasty if takes me over a month to update, even if you guys have gone year! I guess its just a case of the squeaky wheel gets the oil first *smiles sheepishly*.

I started writing this story over two years ago, when I'd had very little experience writing. I'm finding that I'm having the same problems I did with one of my other stories, NWK. Its become a chore to update rather than something fun. I also feel like I could do such a better telling of this story. So I started to write another chapter one, just to see what would happen, and I was amazed at how fast I whipped the chapter out and how much fun I had writing it! Before I knew it I had a second, third, and fourth chapter!

The new chapters actually resembled the way I'd originally intended it to be. When I'd first started writing TDK, its characters and plot kind of mutated away from my original plans, and in the long run I feel the story has suffered for it. I need to make some changes, and I need you guys to trust me to make those changes.

I'm sure you guys now what getting at by now. A complete re-write, in which this version will no longer be updated. I'll leave it up, though it'll be renamed **The Dragon King: Old Version**. The new story will be called **The Dragon King**.

What are you guys waiting for? The first chapter is up! Tell me what you think!

Thanks for all your support.

**BlasterBlurby**


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